A New Era, A New Adventure
by nyislandersgirl
Summary: Aiden and Michelle Ketchum are setting off on their own Pokemon journey, ready to achieve their goals and dreams! Join them as they meet up with new friends, discover rivals, battle their hearts out, and face the biggest scheme that Team Rocket has ever come up with.
1. At the Starting Line

**Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! I've always wanted to say that :P**

**Well, throughout my time on this site, I've had numerous reviewers and readers ask me if I was ever going to publish a story focusing on Aiden and Michelle's Pokemon journey. The answer to that question was always a yes, I've been planning and even writing some of it out for quite some time, actually. And with summer vacation finally here, I decided that there was no better time to present this long awaited story to you all than now!**

**Like many of my stories, these first two chapters are just introduction to the main story, which explains why they're shorter. For the most part, the story's chapters will be much longer than the first two.**

**Now, to get this out of the way: I own nothing from or related to Pokemon except for any OCs you'll find throughout this story.**

**With that settled, let's get on with the show!**

* * *

**Chapter One: At The Starting Line!**

"Alright Pichu, use thunder shock."

"_AAAAAHHH!"_

Surrounded by bright yellow light, Aiden went flying from his bed, covers being thrown in all different directions. The raven haired boy came down hard, hitting the floor. He rose slowly, growling and rubbing his now sore head. He flashed his angry brown eyes at Michelle, who stood with a simple look on her face.

"Finally, you're up."

"Finally?" Aiden barked. He jumped up, ready to attack his twin. The murderous expression on his face, however, did not scare Michelle. She snapped open her emerald eyes, and gave Aiden a disapproving look.

"Yes, finally. You slept in!"

Aiden's eyes grew wide, and he became frozen in shock.

"I…I did?"

"Yes!" Now Michelle was angry. Crossing her arms, the fiery red head added, "and I want to start _my _journey now. I could care less when you do. I would've left on my own, you know. I tried, but Mom wouldn't let me," she tugged impatiently at one of her red layered locks. Pichu, in the meantime, had leapt up onto Michelle's shoulder, ears twitching with excitement. The baby mouse Pokémon, who'd been taken in by Michelle the day before, had been deemed her partner Pokémon, and it was excited to start traveling with its new master.

"That's 'cause Mom likes me best," Aiden stuck his tongue out.

Finally snapping, Michelle lunged forward, grabbing the top of Aiden's shirt, and shaking him back and forth quite violently.

"We're not five, Aiden! Enough with the arguing! Get dressed already!" She let go quickly, causing the boy to fall back on the floor.

"Alright, alright, I'm getting dressed," Aiden snarled, "just get out!"

"My pleasure," Michelle huffed. She turned on her heel and slammed the door shut. Aiden winced at the loud noise, but quickly got over his sister's little temper tantrum. He was used to her habit of yelling and quickly losing patience. His father had always said she got it from their mother. And he must've been right, considering he was always attacked by the tetchy gym leader after making such a statement.

Although Aiden had not wanted to admit it to Michelle's face, he really did want to leave for his journey now, and hated himself for oversleeping. So he rushed over to his drawers, throwing clothes all over the place in an attempt to find an outfit that was suitable for a long adventure. As he rifled through a sea of T-shirts, Aiden suddenly had an epiphany. His mother had bought him a new outfit specifically for his journey! Aiden laughed at his own forgetfulness and gathered the outfit from the desk in the corner of his room.

Downstairs, Michelle was pacing back and forth by the front door, arms crossed and eyes smoldering.

"Pi?" Pichu squeaked. Its left ear twitched.

"Oh, I'm just so anxious, Pichu," Michelle sighed, "I've been waiting for this day _forever! _Of course Aiden has to ruin it."

"Michelle, don't talk about your brother that way."

Michelle turned around quickly to find her mother, Misty, standing in the doorway that led to the kitchen. Her hands were on her hips, and she had an eyebrow raised.

"Sorry, Mom," Michelle smiled weakly, "I'm just…"

"Impatient?"

"Uh, yeah."

Misty giggled a little, and walked towards her daughter. "Do you like your new outfit?"

"I _love _it!" Michelle squealed. Like Aiden, Michelle had received a new outfit specifically for her journey, which consisted of a light yellow t-shirt with a cropped, short sleeved denim jacket layered over it. The jacket matched her short denim skirt perfectly, and she wore sporty looking sneakers that featured the colors of white, yellow, and light blue. On the right side of her head was a light blue seashell hair clip, given to her by Misty the day before. Her bag was a simple light blue backpack with darker blue zippers and straps.

"Good, I'm glad," Misty smiled, "it looks very nice on you."

"Where's Dad?" Michelle asked, blushing a little. "And Elizabeth?"

"I wish I knew," Misty shook her head; "your father just _loves _to run off. He's still got a nose for adventure. And Lizzie, of course, she just follows him wherever he goes."

"Okay! Let's go! Let's go!" Aiden came flying down the stairs, crashing into the couch that sat in the center of the living room. Dazed, he rose shaking his head, and continued bouncing up and down.

He had changed out of his pajamas and into the new outfit his mother had bought for him: a short sleeved red hoodie with a black zipper and pockets, as well as a green stylized poke ball on the right side of the chest. The zipper was just barely pulled down to reveal a green t-shirt underneath the hoodie. Aiden was also wearing a pair of black pants, black and white sneakers, and green and white fingerless gloves. His backpack was green with black zippers and straps.

"Relax, sweetheart," Misty blinked.

"Sorry, but I slept in," Aiden straightened himself out, "and I wanna' go now. No time to lose, you know."

"Aiden, all the Pokémon will still be there in a little while," Misty assured her frazzled son, "you'll be fine."

"But Mom," Aiden wailed, "come on! I wanna' go now!"

"Aiden," Misty's voice was stern now, "relax. You'll go soon enough. We can't go without your father."

"But Dad's already at the lab," Aiden replied slowly.

"_What?"_ Michelle gaped.

"He's already at the lab?" Misty repeated. Aiden nodded, to which Misty replied, "How do you know this?"

"He told me last night," Aiden stated, "right before I went to bed, Dad said he'd be waiting for us at the lab in the morning."

"And he didn't tell me?" Misty hissed under her breath, "He's gonna' get it."

"So we can go now?" Aiden asked cautiously.

"Yes," Misty sighed.

"Alright!" Aiden pumped his fist and ran to the door, throwing it open and jumping into the outdoors. He began sprinting, not bothering to wait for his mother or sister. The wind swept through his raven hair, sunlight filling his brown eyes that already sparkled with excitement. He was becoming a Pokémon trainer. _Today. _A day he'd been waiting for all his life! Finally, Aiden could set off to become a Pokémon master, just like his father.

**XXX**

At Oak's laboratory, Elizabeth sat on the counter, carefully observing the three starter Pokémon that would be handed out to new trainers. They were all small, because they were young, and looked rather curious.

"I like Charmander the best," Elizabeth announced, "it's so cute!"

Charmander tilted its head to the right, "char!"

Bulbasaur and Squirtle were a little saddened by Elizabeth's comment, and she took notice of this.

"Oh, no, you two are very cute too!" Elizabeth assured them in a sweet voice. "I like all three of you! I'll take you all!"

The three Pokémon cheered. Charmander, the excitable one, jumped up and down happily. Bulbasaur, the shy one, smiled softly. And Squirtle, the bold one, banged its chest heartily.

"Elizabeth, you can't have a Pokémon just yet," Ash patted his young daughter's head, "you're too young to start your journey!"

"But I don't wanna wait till I'm ten," Elizabeth pouted, "I'm only four! Ten is forever away! Can I go with Aiden and Michelle?"

"Aw, Lizzie," Ash smiled, "I want you to stay here! I'd miss you a lot if you went now, and so would Mommy."

Elizabeth did not look convinced.

"Don't you worry, Lizzie," Tracey walked into the room, placing two sketchpads on the lab table, "that day will come before you know it! Until then, you can come here whenever you want and play with all the Pokémon!"

At that, Elizabeth's face lit up, "thank you, Uncle Tracey!"

"Professor Oak!" Aiden came barging up the stairs, eyes glowing happily. When he saw the professor was nowhere to be seen, Aiden turned red with embarrassment.

"Aiden," Ash blinked, "where's Michelle? And your mother?"

"I don't know," Aiden laughed nervously, "I kinda' ran ahead of them."

"_Aiden!"_

"Uh oh. Hide me!" Aiden ran behind his father. Ash raised an eyebrow at this, and Elizabeth just laughed.

Michelle came running up the stairs, and Misty stormed behind her. Seeing Ash, Misty's eyes lightened for a second, but soon grew angry again.

"Hey Michelle, Mist," Ash smiled effortlessly.

"Don't you _hey _me," Misty growled, and Ash looked confused, "why don't you _tell _me where you're going, _before _you go?"

"Oh," Ash rubbed the back of his head, "guess I forgot to tell you I was gonna' be here. Sorry."

Misty just rolled her eyes.

"So where's the Professor?" Aiden asked, still hiding behind Ash.

"Ah, right here my boy!"

Aiden looked around before raising an eyebrow, "I don't see him."

Suddenly, stacks of books lying in the corner of the room began to shake. One of the stacks fell over, revealing Professor Oak.

"Oh dear," Professor Oak laughed nervously.

"Professor," Michelle looked confused, "what were you doing behind all those books?"

"Why, research of course," Oak nodded, "and writing a bit of poetry when I grow tired of the research."

"Did you come up with anything good?" Michelle's emerald eyes gleamed. "With the poems, I mean," Michelle had loved the Professor's Pokémon poems since she was a little girl.

"Oh, yes," Oak smiled, "you see my dear; it's very rare that I come across a road block while writing my poetry. The research, well, that's a different story."

"Professor," Aiden blurted out impatiently, "when do I get my Pokémon?"

"Aiden," Misty warned.

"Oh, it's alright Misty," Oak laughed, "He's just excited! Very much like Ash at that age."

"Professor, I know which Pokémon I want," Aiden smiled triumphantly.

"Excellent! Let us pick it out then."

Oak brought Aiden over to the counter where Elizabeth sat with the three starters. The little red head waved at her older brother.

"Hi Aiden! I kept them company for you."

"Thanks Lizzie."

Aiden looked over the three Pokémon; just to be sure he was making the right decision. With a simple nod, Aiden stated, "yep. I know for sure now. I choose Squirtle!"

"Squirtle!" the bold turtle Pokémon banged its chest some more.

"A water Pokémon," Ash chuckled, "did your mother pay you off on the way here?"

"Nah," Aiden laughed, "I've known since I was little that I wanted a Squirtle. They're so cool!"

Oak recalled Squirtle to its poke ball and handed it to Aiden, who beamed at the red and white sphere.

"Now, you'll also need these," Oak handed Aiden five empty poke balls and a red pokedex.

"Alright! Thanks Professor!"

"And now you Michelle. You're using Pichu as your starter Pokémon, correct?"

"Yes sir," Michelle nodded. With that, Oak handed her the same supplies that he had given Aiden; only the pokedex was a different color.

"You made it light blue!" Michelle held up the object gratefully. "Thank you so much Professor!"

"I tipped him off to that," Misty smiled, "I knew you would love for your pokedex to be your favorite color."

"Thanks Mom," Michelle slipped the pokedex and balls into her light blue bag.

"Alright Mom," Aiden turned to his mother, "you ready?"

"Ready? For what?"

"Our gym battle, of course! How impressive will it look that I'm gonna' get my very first badge on my very first day as a trainer!"

"Well, it won't, because you're not getting a badge."

"I get it," Aiden snickered, "you're not gonna go easy on me just 'cause I'm your kid! That's fine. I'll still beat you."

"No dear," Misty giggled a little, "you're not getting the badge, because I'm not going to battle you."

"But…why not?" Aiden stomped his foot while a look of disbelief crossed his face.

"Well, first of all, you only have one Pokémon, and you know that the Cerulean City gym calls for a two on two battle," Misty reasoned, "and secondly, I've already decided that you're going to challenge me last."

"_Last?" _Aiden was shocked.

"That's right," Misty gave off a sly smile, "what's better than a battle with your gym leader mother, but a battle with your gym leader mother that will decide whether or not you will go to the Pokémon League!"

"That's just…" Aiden fumed, "evil! Not right! _Mom!_"

Misty giggled some more and kissed the boy on his cheek. Aiden groaned and rubbed it away furiously, causing the adults in the room to laugh.

"I'm married to the most cunning gym leader in all of Kanto," Ash purred, wrapping his arm around Misty's waist. She wanted to remain angry at him, but she just couldn't. Smirking, the red head simply folded her arms and maintained a strong gym leader stance.

"It's not fair," Aiden grumbled.

"Aiden, dear, you wouldn't be able to beat me anyway," Misty shook her head. "You haven't even trained Squirtle yet. He needs a lot more battling experience before you throw him into an official gym match."

Coming up with a seemingly brilliant idea upon hearing his mother's words, the raven haired boy raised his head and looked at his sister, determination set in his chocolate brown eyes.

"Hey, Shelly," he trilled, "wanna battle?"

* * *

**And there you have it! A little cliffhanger for you all, since I know how much you guys love those ;)**

**If you want to know the story behind Michelle choosing Pichu as her starter, simply read the first story that I ever posted on this site (a story which I do NOT pride myself on, by the way, it was very early work and not well written in my own opinion) though I will probably re-incorporate that storyline into this story later on.**

**So, I'm really curious as to know what you all think of this story! Leave any reviews, comments, whatever, and tell me what you liked, perhaps what you'd like to see, all of that. I read them all and they really help me out with my writing!**

**The second chapter will be coming soon, provided you all like this not-so-little story I'm penning. Until then, I'll see you all later!**


	2. First Battle! Aiden VS Michelle!

**Hello again, everyone! I'm glad to see that the first chapter went over pretty well. That makes me happy, because I'm pretty excited about this story ^^ **

**Last time: Aiden and Michelle woke up on the morning of what would be the first day of their journey. After both reccieved a new pair of travelling clothes from their mother, the two head over to Professor Oak's lab, where Aiden acquires his starter Pokemon: Squirtle. With Michelle starting off with a Pichu whom she had found a day earlier and quickly defended, Aiden decides to challenge his sister to a battle after Misty refuses to battle him for the Cascade badge. But will Michelle accept?**

* * *

**Chapter Two: First Battle! Aiden VS Michelle!**

Michelle stared at her twin, dumbstruck.

"A battle?"

"Yes, a battle," Aiden rolled his eyes, "come on!"

"I don't know..." Michelle sheepishly rubbed her upper arm. "Pichu doesn't have much battle experience."

"Well, how else is she suppoused to get some?" Aiden furrowed his brow before getting a brilliant idea. Smirking, he folded his arms over his chest and taunted, "unless, of course, you're too _scared_ to battle me."

"What did you say?" Michelle growled at her twin.

"Aiden, Michelle, please," Misty sighed tiredly.

"Perfectly understandable," Aiden shrugged, completely ignoring his mother's warning. "I'm glad that you know that coordinators are totally lame compared to gym trainers. It'll really help you out in the long run!"

"Coordinators are _not _lame!" Michelle snapped. "I can be just as strong as you are!"

"Prove it," Aiden scoffed. "Battle me!"

"Fine," Michelle scowled, "prepare to lose, pretty boy."

Within a few minutes, everyone was outside behind the lab, Aiden and Michelle standing a good distance apart from one another.

"Okay Pichu, let's give this a shot!" Michelle smiled at the little mouse Pokémon.

"Pichu!" Pichu leapt off Michelle's shoulder and stood in front of her on all fours, ears twitching.

Aiden grabbed a poke ball from his belt and gave it a quick look over.

"Alright, Squirtle, I choose you!" Aiden flung the sphere and it burst open, shooting out a bright red light that formed into the turtle Pokémon.

"Squirt!" Squirtle gave a salute, and Aiden cackled a little.

"That's right! We'll show her that trainers are _way _better than coordinators. Now let's see what you can use," Aiden retrieved his pokedex and held it over Squirtle.

"_Squirtle can use tackle and tail whip,"_ the pokedex stated.

"That's it?" Aiden frowned.

"Well, you just got it," Ash commented, "the more you train, the more moves Squirtle will learn."

"That's a good idea, Aiden," Michelle beamed as she got out her own pokedex, "I know Pichu can use thunder shock, but what other moves does it know?"

"_Pichu can use thunder shock and charm,"_ said the pokedex.

"Not too much yet either, huh," Michelle shrugged, "well, we'll work with what we have, right Pichu?"

"Pi!" Pichu was jumping up and down now.

"Okay," Tracey stepped forward, "let the battle begin!"

"Pichu, use thunder shock!" Michelle yelled. Pichu darted forward a little before jumping up high and unleashing a jolt of electricity. The bright yellow power went tumbling lazily towards Squirtle.

"Squirtle, dodge it!" Aiden threw out his hand. Squirtle jumped and the light struck the ground, burning off some grass. Pichu landed back on the ground, some static radiating on its body as it winced in pain.

"Oh, Pichu!" Michelle cried.

"Pichu is a baby Pokémon," Misty blinked, "so using that attack gives it some damage as well."

"Poor Pichu," Elizabeth sighed.

"Not to mention that thunder shock isn't a very powerful electric type move," Ash commented. "All Pichu are born knowing thunder shock and charm as defense mechanisms, which really just proves how young Michelle's Pichu really is."

"Squirtle, use tackle!"

The blue turtle dashed towards Pichu and rammed its head right into the little electric mouse's body.

"Chu!" Pichu cried as it skidded across the ground.

"Pichu, get up!" Michelle begged. Pichu dragged itself up, but barely. Michelle grimaced, feeling concern for her little Pokémon, but knew that there was no time to waste, calling, "hurry, use charm!"

Pichu placed its little front paws to its mouth before pulling them away, sending off a shower of pink hearts. They hit Squirtle, who began to twirl about on its toes.

"Squirtle, don't get distracted by Pichu's cuteness!" Aiden stomped his foot. "Use tail whip!" But Squirtle turned to Aiden and shook its head miserably, "why won't you attack Pichu?"

"Charm makes the opponent wary," Professor Oak nodded, "so Squirtle is now charmed by Pichu, and is essentially scared to attack it."

"Alright Pichu, that charm worked out great!" Michelle squealed. "Hurry now, while Squirtle won't attack you, use thunder shock one more time!"

Pichu jumped up again and unleashed its electricity. This time, it was a direct hit, and Squirtle was soon glowing a fierce yellow.

"Squirtle! Squirt! Squirtle!" Squirtle cried. It teetered around before falling to the ground.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried. He looked up with a defeated glance at Michelle, but was shocked at what he saw. Instead of a triumphant look on her face, Michelle was just as horrified as Aiden. Looking down, Aiden saw Pichu lying on the ground, in the same fashion as Squirtle.

"Well, both Pokémon are unable to battle," Tracey rubbed his head, "so this match is a draw!"

"That's weak," Aiden mumbled as he whipped out his poke ball, "return Squirtle!" The red light withdrew the exhausted turtle, and Aiden raised the ball to his face with a small smile. "Nice job! We'll get a lot stronger, I know it."

Michelle walked forward and gathered Pichu in her arms, "Pichu, what a great battle! I'm proud of you."

"Chu," Pichu mumbled.

"Good job!" Ash complimented his children. "Just keep on training, and both you _and _your Pokémon will get stronger!"

"Especially you, Michelle," Misty looked towards her older daughter. "Since Pichu is just a baby, she's going to be weaker than most Pokémon you come across. You're going to have to build up her strength and stamina so that her own attacks won't cause any recoil damage to her."

"I know, I'm going to work hard to get Pichu to become a lot more powerful," Michelle nodded. "I know that one day, she'll be so strong that her electric type attacks won't hurt her!"

"That's the spirit, Shelly," Ash ruffled the hair of his daughter, who was quick to fix it afterwards. "All of those coordinators out there should fear my little princess, that's for sure!"

"Dad," Michelle blushed at the use of her endearing nickname.

"And the same goes for my fellow gym leaders when Aiden comes along to challenge them," Misty giggled. "They're all going to learn that he's quite the handful!"

"Yeah!" Aiden punched the air. Grinning happily, he lowered his fist and conceded, "Well, I guess we're off now."

"Not yet," Ash smiled boldly.

"But, Dad…" Aiden blinked.

"You can't go yet because I have something for you," Ash smirked, "but its back inside. I'll go get it!"

Ash darted towards the building, his children eyeing him confusedly. Misty and Tracey, however, knew of the master's little surprise, and looked at each other with an air of amusement.

"Mommy, what's Daddy doing?" Elizabeth looked up at her mother.

"He's getting something for Aiden," Misty informed the girl. "It's a little present that he's wanted to give your brother for quite some time, now!"

Within a minute, Ash was racing back out, his hands held firmly against his back.

"Well, what is it?" Aiden tilted his head slightly, his impatience beginning to show itself.

"You know how yesterday, your Mom gave Michelle that hair clip? And how it is was very important to her when she was younger?"

"Yes…" Aiden raised an eyebrow, not entirely sure of where his father was going with this.

"Well, that made me realize I should give you something that was important to _me_ when I was younger!" Ash finally put his hands back in front of him, and Aiden gasped at what he clutched.

It was Ash's very first hat; his official Pokémon league one with the white front, red back, and iconic green symbol adorning the white front panel.

"Dad…" Aiden looked up at his father with wide eyes, "Th…this? But…you treasure it almost as much as all your badges and trophies!"

"I do," Ash blushed a little at this fact, "I've had a few different hats, and I've really liked them all. But this one was always my absolute favorite! You can ask your mother how much this hat meant to me," Ash gave Misty a sly glance.

"Way too much," Misty playfully rolled her eyes, "your father used to climb up trees and chase wild, incensed Pokémon to save that thing."

"It's true," Ash chuckled, "but now, I think you should have it. You can wear it throughout your journey."

"Dad," Aiden breathed, "are you sure?"

"Positive," Ash smiled as he placed the cap on Aiden's head, "there! It looks really good on you."

"It does!" Misty beamed.

"Whoa," Tracey blinked, shifting his glance between Ash and Aiden, "he looks just like Ash did as a kid!"

"Ah, so he's handsome," Ash teased with a devilish grin.

"Daddy's full of himself," Elizabeth mumbled. Misty, Tracey, and Professor Oak all burst out laughing, and Ash appeared hurt for a second. With a quick shake of his head, Ash lifted up the young girl, who gave him a sweet yet simple smile.

"Where did you learn to say that, Lizzie?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Mommy!" Elizabeth cheered. The adults continued to laugh, and Aiden turned to look at his sister.

"You really do look like Dad," Michelle grinned genuinely.

"Thanks, I think."

Just like her mother typically did with her father, Michelle lightheartedly rolled her eyes at her brother's dense response.

"Man, who would've thought when I was sending all of those postcards in to get this hat that I'd be giving it to my son 20 years later?" Ash seemed genuinely taken off guard by this thought.

"Who would've thought you'd manage to survive all those times you recklessly endangered yourself to _save _that hat 20 years ago?" Misty quipped, folding her arms over her chest.

"I…thought we already went over that!" Ash's face turned bright red as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

Aiden and Michelle both laughed at their father's misfortune, enjoying the fact that despite his being an adult _and _the Pokémon Master, he still managed to get embarrassed just like everyone else in the world. Michelle sighed and settled down her laughter before asking hesitantly, "so…should we get going?"

Aiden ceased laughing and his smile evaporated ever so slightly as he responded, "uh, yeah. That's probably a good idea." Michelle motioned her head towards the adults; her way of informing Aiden he had to be the one to tell them.

Groaning, Aiden turned around and called out, "hey, guys?"

Ceasing their jocular banter, which had started up right after Misty's teasing of Ash over his misadventures involving his hat, the grownups placed their attention back on the young, new trainers.

"What is it dear?" Misty asked kindly.

Aiden looked back at Michelle, who in turn gazed down at her sneakers. Taking a deep breath, Aiden announced, "I think Michelle and I are going to head out now."

Misty looked worriedly at Ash. He smiled reassuringly at his anxious wife, and responded, "That's a good idea. You don't want to start out too late; it'll get dark then."

"Yeah, and I don't want to risk the chance of running into my future wife and wrecking her bike," Aiden looked covertly at his mother, who blushed earnestly.

Ash laughed heartily and took off Aiden's hat to mess up his hair.

"Dad," Aiden mumbled.

"Bye, son," Ash kept laughing as he put Aiden's hat back on.

Without speaking, Michelle walked forward and hugged her father, burying her face into his chest and listening to his heartbeat one last time.

"Aw, Michelle," Ash hugged her back, "you'll be fine. I know it."

"You'll watch my contests on TV, won't you?" Michelle turned her head up to look at her father, a flash of worry going through her bright green eyes.

"Of course," Ash craned his neck down and kissed Michelle on the top of her head once she had lowered it once again. "You're my little princess. I wouldn't miss them for the world."

Michelle pulled herself away and smiled, "thanks Dad."

"Shelly," Elizabeth ran towards her older sister and hugged her legs.

"Lizzie, you're so cute," Michelle laughed.

"I'm gonna' miss you," the little girl frowned.

"Don't worry. I'll visit sometimes, and I can call you too."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Satisfied with that, Elizabeth turned her attention to her brother, "Aiden…"

"Don't start crying," Aiden bit his lip. He was typically a very strong willed boy, but when it came to his baby sister, he could break down very easily. Although he didn't really like to admit it, because it made him seem weak, Aiden loved Elizabeth more than anything in the world. Seeing her cry would just break his heart.

"I don't cry!" Elizabeth suddenly got angry and punched Aiden in the knee.

"OW!" Aiden grabbed his knee, all of his sweet, previous thoughts quickly going to the wayside as he nursed his throbbing knee. "Alright! Sorry, Lizzie."

Elizabeth crossed her arms and gave Aiden an uncaring glance. She had the face of Ash, but for the most part, the personality of Misty: sweet when she wanted to be, and quite an angry little troublemaker if you managed to get on her bad side.

"I'm gonna' miss you," Aiden admitted with a frown, "I really am," At this, he whimpered a little, praying to Arceus that no tears would fall out of his eyes as he looked down at the little red head standing indifferently before him.

"Okay," Elizabeth jumped up to Aiden's waist and hugged him, "sorry I hit you. You deserved it then." With that, she hopped down and stood next to her mother.

Misty looked at her two older children with a somewhat pained expression.

"Mom?" Aiden asked, tilting his head.

"Are you okay?" Michelle added.

"Yes," Misty lied, just barely in a successful manner. Ash could tell that she was lying, but didn't say anything, not wanting Aiden and Michelle to know that she was actually very upset by their impending departure.

"We'll be alright!" Michelle hugged her, "and careful. I will anyway. But I'll make sure Aiden is too."

"Yeah," Aiden nodded, "trust me. Michelle will make sure I do everything I need to."

Misty smiled, "I know. I believe in you two. You just call us as soon as you get to Viridian City. Do you understand me?"

"Yes Mom," Aiden and Michelle answered simultaneously.

"Good luck you two!" Professor Oak smiled before adding playfully, "you'll need it."

Smirking at one another, Aiden and Michelle nodded before waving at the group and running off towards Route 1, which would lead them to Viridian City.

With her older children gone, Misty finally let out a sad whimper. Tracey and Professor Oak turned to look at the gym leader, and noticed that she was on the verge of tears. They both frowned, knowing that letting her children go couldn't be an easy task for the usually strong willed woman.

Ash took notice of this change in Misty's disposition as well, and he was able to sympathize perfectly with her. They were his children too, after all. Ash was feeling rather sad to let them go as well, but he knew that once the twins turned 10, this was going to happen. Being strong for both Misty and Elizabeth was Ash's job, and he was going to do that job to the best of his ability; just like being the Pokémon Master.

"Come here," Ash murmured, pulling Misty into his body. She hid the side of her face against Ash's strong chest, wrapping her arms around his torso and hugging him tightly. "They'll be alright. They're both tough. Just like their mother."

At this, Misty looked up and smiled tearfully but made no other move. She didn't want to. Ash sensed this and gave his own melancholy grin, gently stroking Misty's hair as he held her close.

"I knew this was going to happen," Misty murmured miserably. "I had 10 years to accept it, and I didn't. Why?"

"Because you didn't want to," Ash shrugged. "And that's okay. Why would we ever want to think of our children leaving? But it had to happen. They need to go out in the world and find what they truly want to do. It's the only way. And, as their parents, we'll just have to support them and their dreams. It's the best thing we can do."

Misty nodded sadly and buried her face back into Ash's chest. At the same time, Ash could feel Elizabeth attaching herself to his leg, hugging it as tightly as she could with the little strength she had. Bending down while still holding onto Misty, he lifted his youngest daughter up with his free arm and held her close as well.

"I miss them, Daddy," Elizabeth whispered to her father, like it was some kind of big secret. Ash could hear that she too was about to cry. Sighing inwardly, Ash knew the family was going to have a few rough days ahead of them.

"I know, baby," Ash snuggled the young girl, trying his hardest not to burst into tears as well. "I know."

* * *

**I teared up a bit writing the end of this chapter. I'm not going to lie! Of course Misty would miss her babies, no one think that she would just be okay with letting them go off. She's a mama bear, remember? :P**

**Next time, Aiden and Michelle begin their journey by travelling through the Viridian Forest. What will happen there? Something signifigant, I can tell you that.**


	3. Viridian Forest! The First Capture!

**Hello everyone! It's a new week, so that means another new chapter of the story! This one is pretty short, unfortunately, because I had to split it up from the next chapter since two very important things happen in both and I wanted to keep them seperate. If this was an actual show, however, it would probably all be in one episode :P**

**Last time: Aiden and Michelle have their very first battle: against one another! While Michelle has the advantage over Aiden's Squirtle by using Pichu, both Pokemon are simoultaenously knocked out, both by the same attack, since Pichu suffers recoil damage from her own thunder shock! After being gifted his father's prized Pokemon League hat from when he started his own journey, Aiden along with his sister depart for their journey, leaving behind a very upset Misty and Elizabeth and a determined Ash to hold them all together.**

* * *

**Chapter Three: Viridian Forest! Michelle Catches a Pokemon!**

"Aiden, _wait!"_

The raven haired boy spun around to look at his sister. Her emerald eyes were full of fear, her normally fiery red hair darkened by the shade provided by the mass amounts of trees that created the Viridian Forest.

"You're so slow," Aiden groaned.

"I am not," Michelle retorted, her eyes narrowing at the accusation, "I just don't like this forest is all! I feel like a bug Pokémon is gonna' jump out at me any minute! You know this place is full of 'em."

Like her mother, Michelle was deathly afraid of bug Pokémon, and screamed at the tops of her lungs every time she caught sight of one. She thought they were gross, icky, scary, slimy…you name it. Michelle just couldn't stand even the thought of a bug type.

"No bug Pokémon is gonna' come for you," Aiden rolled his eyes, "and if one does, you have Pichu to attack 'em."

"Pichu!" Pichu piped up proudly from Michelle's shoulder.

"Thanks, Pichu," Michelle smiled at the little mouse Pokémon. Just then, a rustling noise came from one of the tall trees, frightening Michelle and piquing Aiden's curiosity.

"What was that?" Aiden wondered aloud.

"I bet it's a Beedrill!" Michelle cried and grabbed Aiden's shoulders, trying to hide behind the boy, "or some other creepy, crawly bug…"

"What is with you?" Aiden sighed.

"You know what's _with _me; I'm scared of bugs!" Michelle stormed.

The rustling became louder and more constant. Aiden growled a little, and Michelle winced. When the rustling reached its loudest, a figure came flying out of the thick leaves, causing Aiden to jump back, and Michelle to scream.

"Free!"

Aiden looked up cautiously, and once he saw what it was, he straightened himself out.

"Calm down, Shelly," Aiden crossed his arms, "it's just a Butterfree."

Michelle slowly raised her head and caught sight of the butterfly Pokémon, floating innocently up by the leaves. Reaching into her light blue bag, Michelle retrieved her pokedex, which perfectly matched her bag in color. She raised the machine to Butterfree, and it read out:

_Butterfree, the butterfly Pokémon. Its collects honey with the fine hairs that cover its legs._

"I've got to catch it!" Michelle gasped.

"What!" Aiden bellowed, "you realize that's a bug right? All of a sudden you're not _afraid _of them?"

"Of course I'm afraid of bug types! Do you not remember me freaking out before?" Sighing, Michelle put a smile on her face and explained airily, "I'm not afraid of Butterfree, though! They're _so _pretty, not creepy, and besides, they helped me as a little girl."

"Helped you?"

"Yes."

"I don't remember any Butterfree helping you when you were younger."

Butterfree flapped its wings and landed on the ground, where it stood patiently. Realizing it wasn't going anywhere; Michelle gave a confident smile and said, "Well, let me enlighten you…"

**XXX**

_Little Michelle loved playing outside. Except for when a bug Pokémon tried to get near her. Then she would start screaming, which led to her father running to her, worried. When he saw it was simply a bug Pokémon several feet away from her, he would laugh and say, "oh Shelly. It's not gonna' hurt you. It just wants to say hi!"_

_And Michelle's response was always the same: "no! It's GROSS!"_

_One specific day, however, Michelle was in the backyard, playing with a bouncy ball. She loved to throw it around, pretending it was a poke ball._

"_Gyrados, I choose you!" Michelle threw the ball with all her might. It hit the ground and bounced wildly, causing Michelle to sigh, "if only it was a real poke ball."_

_The ball continued to bounce, and soon it was flying into the forest space that started in the backyard._

"_Oh no!" Michelle cried, "Come back!"_

_She began to run after the ball, but stopped herself. Her parents had always been very clear with both her and Aiden that they were never to go into the forest without them._

It'll just take a minute_, Michelle thought to herself, _I just need to get my ball_. And with that, Michelle ran into the clearing._

_Walking through the woods, Michelle shivered a little. She was just four years old, and she knew running off into the forest without her parents was wrong. So Michelle picked up her pace to a little run. Soon enough, she found her ball sitting still in a clearing, and it caused Michelle to beam with assurance._

"_There you are!" She skipped forward and took the ball into her hands. Michelle began to march back, but her newfound confidence quickly faded when she realized she wasn't entirely sure of where she was._

"_Uh oh," Michelle whispered to herself. She turned her head left to right, and back to the left, quickly and in a panicked mode. Whimpering, Michelle threw herself down on the ground and started to cry. _

What if I never get home?_ Michelle thought to herself, _Mommy and Daddy will be really, really upset…I didn't listen to them and now I'll never see them again!

_As she wailed hopelessly, a rather small Butterfree appeared from one of the trees that stood tall over the little girl. It set its large red eyes on Michelle and raised its antennae._

"_Free! Free!" Butterfree trilled as it flew down towards the girl. It floated in front of her, tilting its head in curiousty. Michelle was too busy crying to notice the butterfly Pokémon. Still somewhat confused, the little Butterfree tapped the top of Michelle's head with its right foot._

_Michelle's crying stopped a little, and she raised her head slowly. Seeing the Butterfree floating in her face, the little red head screamed and fell back._

"_Bug! Bug!" She yelped._

"_Free?" Butterfree flew closer to Michelle._

"_No!" Michelle waved her arms, "go away! I don't like bugs!"_

_Butterfree didn't seem to care, and continued to get closer, until it landed on the floor and snuggled next to Michelle._

"_Free," it mumbled contently._

"_Huh?" Michelle stopped flailing and looked at the butterfly. Smiling, she giggled a little and said, "oh, well you're kind of nice. I guess you're pretty too."_

_Butterfree looked at Michelle and nodded, causing her to laugh. Suddenly, Michelle got an idea._

"_Hey, I'm lost. I ran out here to get my ball, but now I can't remember how to get back home. Could you help me?"_

_Butterfree thought for a moment, but soon its eyes lit up and it shot up towards the sky._

"_Free! Free!" It trilled again. _Follow me!

"_Okay," Michelle sniffed. Butterfree began to fly forward and Michelle hurriedly skipped behind. It took only a few minutes for Butterfree to find the edge of the forest, and once there, Michelle bounced up and down._

"_Oh, Butterfree, thank you!" Michelle beamed, "now my Mommy and Daddy won't be worried! They might be angry though…so I won't say anything!"_

"_Free! Free!" Butterfree trilled. And just like that, the butterfly Pokémon went zooming back into the forest, Michelle watching with eyes full of admiration._

**XXX**

"Pretty impressive," Aiden smirked.

"Ever since that moment, I knew when I became a Pokémon trainer, I'd train a Butterfree," Michelle put her hands on her hips.

"Pichu!" Pichu jumped off Michelle's shoulder and stood in front of Butterfree, releasing some electric from its cheeks.

"Alright!" Aiden jumped up, "Pichu is challenging Butterfree!"

"Free!" Butterfree flew back up, narrowing its large red eyes.

"Let's do it!" Michelle grinned, "Pichu, use thunder shock!"

"Pi…chu!" Pichu lept forward emphatically, shooting off bright yellow electricity. It was a direct hit.

"Free!" Butterfree cried as it glowed from the attack. It faltered a little, but flew back up quickly, where it preceded to flap its wings wildly, creating a strong wind.

"Butterfree is using gust!" Aiden called out.

The quick flow of wind had no problem throwing little Pichu back with force. Wrapping its little paws around bunches of grass, Pichu winced and tried not to get blown away. Eventually, the gust stopped, and Pichu picked itself up.

"Way to go Pichu!" Michelle cheered, "Now let's try charm!"

Pichu's brown eyes began to sparkle, and it blew a kiss, sending out a shower of pink hearts, which Butterfree effectively dodged.

"Pi!" Pichu cried.

Butterfree moved forward, and flapping its wings again, although more gently this time, releasing a wave of amber colored dust.

"Michelle, that's stun spore!" Aiden gasped, "Look out!"

"Pichu, dodge it!" Michelle threw out her hand.

"Chu!" Pichu just jumped out of the way of the powder, landing clumsily on its paws, panting heavily.

"Pichu's tired," Michelle sighed, "we gotta' finish this."

Pichu turned around to look at its trainer. Michelle gave Pichu a confused look, but the baby mouse Pokémon gave a confident nod, eyes full of determination.

"You're sure?" Michelle asked.

"Pi!" Pichu flicked its ears.

"Alright," Michelle gave a sly smile before ordering, "Pichu! Thunder shock!"

"Pi…chu!" Pichu let off a shocking amount of thunder. Both Michelle and Aiden's eyes grew wide. The thunder hit Butterfree just as quickly as before, but this time the strength of it was too much for the butterfly Pokémon, and it went spiraling to the ground.

"Here's my chance," Michelle withdrew a red and white sphere and threw it, "poke ball, go!"

The ball hit the unconscious Pokémon and gathered it up in a red light. Landing back on the ground, the poke ball twitched continuously. Aiden watched intently, and Pichu looked ready to collapse.

"This has got to work," Michelle breathed, "Pichu is way too tired to fight anymore."

The group stood in silence for a few more seconds. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the poke ball stood still and became surrounded by a flurry of sparkles. That was that.

"We…we did it!" Michelle jumped. She hurried over to the poke ball and gathered it up in her hands, "look what we did Pichu! We caught ourselves a Pokémon!"

"Pi!" Pichu squeaked.

"Alright!" Michelle held up the poke ball triumphantly, "I caught a Butterfree!"

"Pi pichu!" Pichu held up a paw, but then fainted.

"Pichu!" Michelle cried.

"I can't believe that little thing has so much power," Aiden chuckled a little, "incredible."

"Yeah," Michelle picked up Pichu, "but we don't have time to be amazed right now, Aiden. We need to get Pichu to a Pokémon Center, and fast!"

Aiden finally realized that the little electric type in his sister's arms was unconscious, not at all moving, and breathing very slowly.

"Pichu doesn't look too good," Aiden agreed.

"Where's the nearest Pokémon Center?" Michelle fretted. She was terrified that Pichu was severely hurt and would never wake up. After all, she had never dealt with something like this before, and didn't know what to expect.

"I think it's in Viridian City," Aiden thought aloud. "And this is Viridian Forest, so it can't be too far from here. All we have to do is get out of the forest."

"So let's go!" Michelle ran past Aiden.

"Michelle, wait!" Aiden cried, racing after his sister.

As her feet pounded against the dirt floor of the forest, Michelle could hear her heart pounding away in her ears, and her blood racing through her body as adrenaline took over her entire being.

_Just hold on Pichu, _Michelle thought sadly to herself as she looked down at the badly injured baby mouse, _I'm going to get you help if it's the last thing I ever do!_

* * *

**So Pichu is badly injured (too much battling for such a little thing!) which leaves Michelle and Aiden racing for the Pokemon Center in Viridian City. Will they get there on time?**

**Find out next time!**


	4. Viridian City! Team Rocket Appears!

**Alright, new chapter! I'm uploading this one a little early because the last chapter was so short. This one isn't as long as usual either, but don't worry, the next one is going to be MUCH longer, so no worries there :)**

**Last time: While wandering through Viridian Forest, Aiden and Michelle come across a wild Butterfree. Despite her overwhelming fear of bug types, Michelle wants to desperately catch the Butterfree, seeing as she has set herself a goal to train one ever since she was a little girl. Using Pichu, Michelle manages to defeat Butterfree and make it her very first capture. Unfprtunately, the battle proves to be too much for Pichu, who faints almost instantly afterwards. With Aiden and Michelle rushing to the nearest Pokemon Center, will they manage to make it in time?**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Viridian City! Team Rocket Appears!**

"Here it is," Aiden stopped in front of a large building with a P on it.

"Let's hurry!" Michelle rushed past her brother.

"Okay, okay!" Aiden whined as he raced after his twin, "Wait up!"

Michelle ran into the Pokémon Center, a frantic look on her face. Nurse Joy spun around at the sound of Michelle's footsteps and gave the girl a curious look.

"Oh, hello," Michelle skidded to a halt, "uh…could you please help my Pichu? She's pretty hurt, I think…"

"Of course!" Nurse Joy smiled and took the baby mouse Pokémon, "now, you just wait here."

"Okay," Michelle blinked, "thank you."

As the young red head stood in silence, Aiden came up from behind her and tugged on the back of her short sleeved jacket.

"What?" Michelle turned around, somewhat startled.

"We have to call Mom," Aiden responded slowly, "or she'll go crazy."

"Oh yeah," Michelle walked over to the one of the video phones. Aiden walked around aimlessly behind her, taking in his surroundings. Suddenly getting an idea, Aiden grabbed a poke ball off his belt.

"Come on out, Squirtle!" He called, tossing the ball up in the air. It burst open, sending out the turtle Pokémon in a ray of red light.

"Squir?" Squirtle looked at Aiden with its big brown eyes.

"Hey, buddy," Aiden chirped.

"Squirtle!" The Pokémon drew back and unleashed a tackle attack on Aiden's knee.

"Ow!" Aiden cried, "Squirtle! What was that for? Don't you know that leg still hurts from Lizzie kicking it?"

"Squirtle, squirtle," Squirtle shrugged and turned around. Aiden raised an eyebrow and groaned.

"Where is your brother?" Aiden heard his mother's voice, and ran over to where Michelle sat.

"Hi Mom!" Aiden grinned.

"Hello Aiden," Misty lit up, "how was your trip to Viridian City?"

"Not bad. Fortunately, we only had to spend one night in the forest, but it wasn't fun with Michelle."

"Shut up," Michelle hissed, "I thought I was gonna' wake up with a bug on me!"

"You're such a baby," Aiden shot back.

"I know you are, but what am I?" Michelle snapped.

"That's enough!" Misty demanded. The twins stopped arguing and turned to look at their mother, who was giving them a knowing glance.

"Sorry," the two responded simultaneously.

"Hm," Misty nodded, "now I assume you're going to stay at the Pokémon Center for the night?"

"Yes," Michelle answered.

"No," Aiden responded.

"What do you mean _no?_" Michelle gasped.

"I wanna' keep going," Aiden stated plainly.

"No, absolutely not," Misty interrupted.

"Mom, come on, you're not…"

"I'm not what, Aiden?"

"You're not in charge of us on our journey…" he mumbled.

"I'm your mother; I'm _always _in charge of you. And it's late at night. I want the two of you staying at the Pokémon Center, alright? It's too dangerous to be out this late."

"Okay," Aiden frowned.

"I'm just trying to keep the two of you safe," Misty smiled.

"Come on Mist, they're not babies," a different voice came through the video phone. Ash walked up next to Misty and smiled at his two children.

"Hi Dad," the two greeted him.

"Hey, you're alive!" Ash laughed a little.

"Oh! Dad, look!" Michelle retrieved a poke ball and pressed the center button, releasing Butterfree, "I caught my first Pokémon!"

"Free!" Butterfree greeted.

"Hey, a Butterfree!" Ash smiled, "good job Michelle."

"Thanks," Michelle blushed.

"Aiden," Ash turned to his son, "have you registered for the Pokémon League yet?"

"Oh no!" Aiden flailed, "I totally forgot!"

"I'll help you with that," Nurse Joy suddenly reappeared and smiled at Aiden.

"Oh, thanks Nurse Joy! Mom, Dad, we have to go now."

"Be careful you two!" Misty warned.

"Mom, we'll be fine," Michelle reassured.

"We know you will," Ash placed a hand on Misty's shoulder. And the call ended.

"Alright, let's get you registered for the Pokémon League," Nurse Joy directed Aiden towards the front desk, "I just need your pokedex."

"Sure," Aiden handed the red machine over to the nurse.

"Nurse Joy," Michelle asked sweetly, "do I register for contests here?"

"Oh no, you'll have to do that at the site of the first contest, which is in Sunfire Town, right outside Vermillion City," Nurse Joy handed Aiden his pokedex, "you're all set, Aiden."

"Thanks!" Aiden smiled.

"Now if you two would like, I'll show you a room for the night!"

"Thanks Nurse Joy!" Aiden and Michelle replied.

As Nurse Joy led the siblings to their room, a loud crashing noise caused the three of them to turn around.

"What was that?" Aiden yelled.

Manic laughter filled the air, and a large cloud of dust was swirling around in front of a gaping hole in the center's wall. The dust soon settled, revealing two people. On the left was a girl, with waist length blue hair and narrowed purple eyes. To the right was a boy, with shaggy green hair and gleaming blue eyes. They were both smirking, and in between them was a Pokémon making the same face.

"What Pokémon is that?" Michelle withdrew her poke dex.

_Sneasel, the sharp claw Pokémon. Sneasel's back and front paws feature retractable claws that help add power to its attacks._

"What nerve that this brat doesn't know who I am!" Sneasel growled.

"It talked!" Aiden gaped.

"These kids really know nothing," the girl twirled a piece of hair around her finger.

"_Kids?_" Aiden retorted, "You're hardly older than we are!"

"Who are you anyway?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"You really don't know?" The boy asked dauntingly. Aiden and Michelle both shook their heads. "Well then, allow us to introduce ourselves."

The girl spun in a perfect circle, hair cascading around her and wrapping against her body as she stopped, "the name's Jewel."

The boy fanned out his hand and brought it down in front of his face, before raising it to move a piece of his hair, "Jason."

Sneasel retracted its claws and slashed the air, forming a bright, white 'X' and announcing, "And me, Sneasel!"

"And if you really want to know," Jewel continued, "we're members of Team Rocket!"

"That band of thieves?" Nurse Joy gasped.

"The very same," Jason responded haughtily.

"Aiden, weren't the people who followed Mom and Dad around when they were younger part of Team Rocket?" Michelle blinked.

"Yeah, and they always tried to steal Pikachu!" Aiden growled.

"You got that right kid!" Sneasel pointed a claw at the boy, "Team Rocket's number one priority is swiping other people's Pokémon!"

"So that's exactly what we're here to do," Jason grinned.

"Excuse me?" Michelle stepped forward.

"You heard us," Jewel shot back, "hand over all the Pokémon in this place!"

"You really think we're just gonna' let you take all the Pokémon?" Aiden asked sardonically.

"It would be nice," Jason mulled, "but admittedly, no."

"That's why we're going to put up a good fight," Jewel's eyes gleamed devilishly, "come on out Nidoran!" She lobbed a poke ball, and it burst open to unleash a blue, rabbit like Pokémon.

"We need your assistance as well, Nidoran," Jason airily tossed his own poke ball, releasing a Pokémon that looked very similar to the first Nidoran, the only notable difference being that his was pink with a larger horn and set of ears.

"Nidoran…" Aiden hissed as he withdrew his poke dex.

_Nidoran, the poison pin Pokémon. Its body is covered in venomous barbs that can cause serious damage even by the smallest scratch. Females and males differ in appearance; the females are blue, whereas the males are pink with longer horns._

"So, hers is a female," Michelle pointed at the blue Nidoran, "and his is a male," she moved her finger towards the pink one.

"Michelle, come on!" Aiden snapped, throwing his own poke ball, "I need your help!"

"Oh, right!" Michelle grabbed a red and white sphere, "Butterfree, we need you!"

Aiden's poke ball released his prideful Squirtle, whereas Michelle's sent her joyful Butterfree floating in the air.

"Look at the babies' little Pokémon!" Jewel cooed teasingly, "how precious."

"Quit callin' us babies!" Aiden growled, "Squirtle, use tackle on the male Nidoran!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle dashed forward, leaning his head down.

"Really now?" Jason sighed, "Nidoran, double kick."

As Squirtle continued carrying out his tackle attack, the male Nidoran moved ahead just slightly, turning around so his backside was facing the turtle. As soon as Squirtle was in close range, Nidoran lifted up his hind legs and swiftly kicked Squirtle twice in the head.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle wailed as it flew backwards.

"Squirtle, no!" Aiden cried. Jason laughed, and Aiden gave him a low growl.

"I'll stop 'em," Michelle mumbled to herself, before ordering, "Butterfree! Gust, let's go!"

"Free!" The butterfly lifted itself closer to the roof, heavily pounding its wings back and forth to create a strong wind. Jason and Jewel quickly covered their eyes and braced themselves against the fierce gust, both of their Nidoran skidding back helplessly.

"Enough!" Jewel finally called out over the wind, "Sneasel, use icy wind already!"

"One icy wind, comin' right up!" Sneasel chuckled. He tilted his head up towards Butterfree, unleashing a stream of chilled air. It hit Butterfree, freezing both of the Pokémon's wings. Crying out, Butterfree began to fall towards the ground.

"Butterfree!" Michelle shrieked.

"Nurse Joy," Aiden whispered, turning to the young nurse, "you should go and protect the Pokémon."

"Good idea," Nurse Joy nodded, hurrying off to the back room.

"You two aren't getting out of this unscathed," Jewel purred, "Nidoran, use scratch!"

"Ni!" Nidoran dashed forward, jumping in the air to pull down Butterfree and scratch its face with her claws.

"Free! Free!" Butterfree cried out in pain.

"Butterfree!" Michelle wailed. From around the corner, a pair of round black eyes watched the heated battle carefully.

"Let's finish this off," Jason looked towards Jewel, who in turn smiled mischievously and nodded.

"Nidoran!" They called simultaneously, "use poison sting!"

Both Nidoran emitted a low growl, their barbs glowing a bright purple. Aiden and Michelle recoiled slightly, paralyzed with fear and unsure of what to do. Fortunately for them, they didn't need to do anything.

"Pi!"

A streak of yellow flashed before the trainers, landing swiftly on the ground. Jason and Jewel blinked confusedly and turned their gazes down. When they caught sight of what the streak had been, they burst out into a fit of hearty laughter.

"Is…is that?" Jason roared as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Y…yeah, it is!" Jewel snickered.

"Oh great," Aiden covered his eyes, "not only are _we _gonna' get killed, but your Pichu is gonna' get barbequed."

"Chu!" Pichu spun around to give Aiden an angry glare. Michelle stared down at her determined baby mouse Pokémon, and nodded with a smile.

"Pichu!" Michelle commanded with a strong voice. Jason and Jewel stopped laughing, Aiden raised an eyebrow at his sister, and Pichu turned back around with a devious smirk. Taking a deep breath, Michelle bellowed, "Thunder shock!"

"Pi…" Pichu leaned back, electricity crackling from his cheeks, "chu!" The little mouse unleashed her thunder attack, sending the light barreling towards the pair of stunned Nidoran.

"NI!" They both cried in unison as the electricity traveled through their bodies.

"Nidoran!" Jason and Jewel shrieked simultaneously. Still sparking, both Nidoran fell weakly to the floor, clearly unable to battle.

"She…she did it…" Aiden blinked.

"Alright!" Michelle punched the air. Pichu squeaked joyfully and leapt into her trainer's arms, "Pichu, you did it! I knew you could! I'm so proud of you!"

"Chu!" Pichu flickered her little ears, before sighing tiredly and leaning into Michelle.

"This isn't the last of us," Jewel hissed, gathering her unconscious Nidoran into her arms.

"We'll be back," Jason assured, taking his own Pokémon. And with that, the mysterious trio unleashed a smoke bomb, disappearing hastily in a Sneasel shaped balloon while Aiden and Michelle coughed feverously.

When the fog cleared, the siblings exchanged confused glances, followed by uncaring shrugs. Up in the balloon, meanwhile, Team Rocket was busy sulking over their defeat.

"I've never seen such a powerful _baby _Pokémon," Jason whimpered, returning his injured Nidoran to his poke ball.

"It's obviously quite rare," Jewel shook it off, "you know what that means."

"We've gotta' catch it for the boss!" Sneasel snickered.

"Right!" Jason clapped once, before lowering his hands, "oh, but…how will we explain this loss to Mother and Father?"

* * *

**Yes, the first appearance from the new generation of Team Rocket. They will play a very integral part of the story ;)**

**Also, you might have noticed the small detail thrown in at the beginning of the story: that Michelle's first contest is in Sunfire Town. There is no such place in either the games or anime, but I can't really have all of Michelle's contests in the same cities as Aiden's gym battles. That would be too boring, in my opinon. So I'm making up some smaller towns where the contests will be held. It's been over 20 years since Ash and Misty were 10 years old, you'd have to think that some new little towns would've popped up by now :P**

**Thanks for all of the reviews so far! It's awesome to know that you guys are enjoying this story ^^ Until next time, keep on reading!**


	5. Pewter City! A Friendly Reunion!

**Remember when I said the chapters were going to get longer? And that didn't seem to be happening? Well, I'm not a liar, the longer chapters are finally HERE! This one is actually still shorter than most of the ones I've been writing out, but it's still a pretty long one! This is also an important chapter :)**

**Last time: Aiden and Michelle raced to the Pokemon Center in the hopes of healing Michelle's badly injured Pichu. While there, Aiden registers for the Pokemon League, while Michelle finds out that the first Pokemon Contest will be held in Sunfire Town. After calling their parents (a request made by Misty before the two had left) the Pokemon Center is taken under attack by none other than Team Rocket, a devious trio consisting of a girl named Jewel, a boy named Jason, and their talking Sneasel. Aiden and Michelle battle with the two in an effort to keep them from stealing the Center's Pokemon, and are helped out in the end by Michelle's Pichu, who has fully recovered. Team Rocket sees Pichu's potential, however, and vow to steal the baby Pokemon, whatever it takes!**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Pewter City! A Friendly Reunion!**

"Well, well, look where we are."

Michelle spun around to give her twin brother a devious look, but it softened when she realized he was nowhere in sight.

"Aiden?" Michelle blinked.

"Pichu?" Pichu called out.

"Okay, where did that stupid boy go now?" Michelle narrowed her eyes. Smiling, she raised her pointer finger into the air, "I got it!" Reaching into her bag, she retrieved a poke ball and smiled at it, before tossing the sphere above her head, "Butterfree, I choose you!"

"Free!" Butterfree chirped, fluttering her delicate wings.

"Butterfree, help me find my air head of a brother," Michelle requested sweetly. Butterfree nodded once and began to fly forward, Michelle following quickly behind. After only two minutes, Butterfree's antenna snapped up, and her wings flapped very excitedly.

"Free! Free!"

"You found him?" Michelle beamed, "awesome job!" The red head peered into a gaggle of trees, rolling her eyes at the sight of her brother commanding Squirtle.

"Alright, now use tackle!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle leapt forward, smashing his skull against a tree's strong trunk.

"Aiden, what are you doing?" Michelle sighed.

"Training," Aiden responded simply, without turning around, "I need to be ready for my gym match."

"A gym battle? You're kidding right?"

"No, why would I?" Aiden inquired.

"You only have one Pokémon. Don't you think you should catch some more before you challenge a gym?"

"Squirtle and I will do just fine!" Aiden banged his chest heartily, and Squirtle followed suit, "we're unbeatable!"

"Says you," Michelle rolled her eyes, "now come on. I want to get into town so Pichu and Butterfree can get a check up at the Pokémon Center."

"Good idea!" Aiden grinned, "Squirtle can get checked out before his big battling debut."

"You realize what town this is, don't you?" Michelle looked over her shoulder as Aiden followed after her.

"Hmm, not off the top of my head, no."

Michelle giggled quietly to herself.

"Aren't you gonna' tell me?" Aiden scoffed impatiently.

"You'll see," Michelle hushed. She stood at the edge of an overhang, hands on her hips. From behind her, Aiden squeaked, and shuffled until he was standing shoulder to shoulder with his ginger haired sister.

"Pewter City," Aiden murmured.

**XXX**

Dialing the phone, Jewel scowled as Jason and Sneasel pressed up against her, breathing down the girl's neck.

"Do you MIND?" Jewel snapped, turning around with fury in her eyes. Jason and Sneasel both hopped back, trembling ever so slightly. Jewel let out a disgruntled sigh, and continued to press in the numbers. After hitting the final button, a loud ringing noise filled the room, and the trio waited impatiently for the connection to go through. After about a minute, the screen lit up, although no one could be seen on the other side. Jason and Jewel looked confusedly at each other. Suddenly, some sound came through the receiver.

"Would you hurry up?" A feminine voice snapped.

"But I'm not finished dusting my…"

"Oh, I don't _care! _This is much more important than your stupid bottle caps!"

"Uh, Mom?" Jewel blinked.

A magenta haired woman jumped up in front of the screen, her blue eyes sparking with ever present mischievousness.

"Sorry darling," her voice trilled, "your father is just being, well…himself."

"I heard that!" A blue haired man appeared now, frowning disapprovingly.

"Good, so you can hear," the woman rolled her eyes.

"Guys, could you…maybe…quit fighting for a moment?" Jason inquired, wincing gently.

"What is it son?" The man turned his attention to the children on the other side of the screen.

"It's about our mission," Jewel continued, her voice strong and serious, "we found the targets."

The man and woman grinned deliriously at each other.

"The girl has quite the powerful Pichu," Jason added, "I've never seen a baby Pokémon with such potential before."

"Excellent," the woman snickered, "you know what to do now, right?"

"Capture the Pichu?" Sneasel guessed, tilting his head.

"That's correct."

"We won't let you _or _the organization down," Jewel smirked deviously, "don't worry Mom and Dad."

"Oh, you could never let us down dear!" The man waved his hand as he smiled lovingly. Jewel rolled her eyes. _So embarrassing._

"The organization is a different story, however," the woman tugged at her husband's ear.

"Don't worry," Jason repeated, "we'll succeed."

"Go on then," the woman nodded.

"Bye-bye you two!" The man was waving cheerily again, and the transmission was ended. Miles away from where their children were, Jessie and James cast each other sneaky glances.

"So they've found the twerps' offspring," James chuckled.

"And they'll swipe that Pichu and make Giovanni proud," Jessie snickered, "just like he wants."

**XXX**

After getting their Pokémon checked out at the center, Michelle found herself running after Aiden, who was racing towards the Pewter Gym.

"Aiden! Slow down!" Michelle scolded desperately.

"No way Shelly!" Aiden called back, "I gotta' challenge the gym _right _now!"

"So this is what Mom had to deal with when she was travelling with Dad!" Michelle huffed, "Man, I feel sorry for her."

Aiden finally skidded to a halt in front of a very large building, one that resembled a massive stone. Carved into the top were the words 'Pewter City Gym' and the building was surrounded by smaller rocks and mounds of pebbles.

"Pi," Pichu flicked her ears wistfully.

"I challenge you to a gym battle!" Aiden yelled, strengthening his voice.

"Quit trying to sound like Dad," Michelle scoffed.

"I am not!" Aiden glowered over his shoulder.

"Are too. You made your voice deeper to sound like him!"

"I did not!"

"Did too."

"Did not!"

"Did TOO!"

"DID…"

"You guys still do this?"

The bickering siblings turned their attention to the left, where they caught sight of a very familiar figure.

A boy, who appeared to be their age but was slightly taller, was smirking foolishly at them. His tanned skin and dark brown hair, which hung carelessly over his squinted eyes, gave him a very distinct look; one that was a trademark in his family.

"Brandon!" Aiden cheered, jumping forward. He playfully punched the boy's shoulder, which caused Brandon to chuckle and hit him back.

"What's up, Michelle?" He waved towards the red head.

"What's with you choosing to show up at the most inconvenient times?" Michelle sighed, red layers brushing against her pale cheeks.

"Because _someone _has to be your mediator," Brandon shook a finger.

"No way dude, you're always on _my _side!" Aiden cried, clapping a hand on Brandon's very slightly broadened shoulder. At this, Aiden frowned. _When am I gonna' start getting built up like Dad? _

"Only when you're right," Brandon waved a hand, "which isn't very often." Aiden scowled, and Michelle chuckled quietly to herself.

"Alright, enough with all the teasing," Aiden rolled his eyes, "it's time for my gym match!"

"A gym battle?" Brandon blinked, "already?"

"Thank you," Michelle sighed exasperatedly.

"It's not too soon!" Aiden barked, "Squirtle and I are TOTALLY ready!" To prove his point, Aiden withdrew Squirtle's poke ball and released the proud turtle Pokémon.

"Squirt!" Squirtle stood up tall, banging the front of his shell.

"See? Squirtle's absolutely _pumped _for this! Right buddy?" Squirtle turned around and whipped Aiden's shin with his tail, huffing unappreciatively.

"He doesn't look too happy," Brandon observed, tapping his chin.

"Brandon would know, Aiden," Michelle nodded slowly, "he _is _training to become a Pokémon breeder, after all."

"Squirtle and I are plenty close," Aiden mumbled angrily, "you guys just don't understand the nature of our relationship!"

"Big words for you," Michelle retorted.

"Okay, that's it!" Aiden punched the air, "I'm going to challenge the gym, and that's that!"

"Bet you can't beat my Dad," Brandon shrugged.

"Can too," Aiden responded dismissively.

"We'll see about that," Brandon began to laugh again, "follow me then!" Guiding Aiden and Michelle back to the front of the gym, he unlocked the front door with a key that had been hidden away in his back pocket. Pushing back the door, Aiden was quick to run past Brandon, causing his sister to grow even angrier.

"Aiden! Have some respect, will you?"

Planting himself firmly into the challenger's box, Aiden called again, "I challenge you to a gym battle! Come on, show yourself!"

"Ah, I've been waiting for this day."

Michelle raised an eyebrow, and Brandon folded his arms as a smirk formed on his face.

"F…Forrest?" Aiden called, leaning in a bit. Squirtle continued to puff his chest out proudly by Aiden's side.

From the darkness, standing atop a hill of stone, was a grown man who looked quite a bit like Brandon. His strong arms were folded, and a jubilant smile was stretched across his face.

"Aiden!" Forrest greeted merrily, "You've finally come to challenge the Pewter City gym!"

"Of course," Aiden showed off a look of determination that was a mirror image of his father's, "I would've gotten my first badge from my Mom, if she hadn't decided that I had to challenge her last," Aiden frowned at the last part. "So unfair."

"Your mother is so funny," Forrest chuckled as he shook his head.

"Your ideas of funny are way different than mine."

"Oh Aiden, I've known your mother since I first became a gym leader," Forrest jumped down from his perch, "she and I became fast friends. Probably because she knew Brock before we ever met, but she's very sweet. When you and your sister were just babies, I told her I'd give you a good fight for the Boulder Badge."

"Did you ever talk about me challenging for the Cascade Badge?" Brandon asked mischievously.

Forrest shook his head with a little smile, "no son. I think we always knew you'd take more after your Uncle Brock than me."

"Oh, I'll give you a good fight all right," Aiden grinned.

"So, you're really ready to go?"

"Of course!"

"Alright, let's get into battle positions!"

"Hold on a minute!"

The four inhabitants of the gym looked around curiously, wondering where the new voice had come from. Out of a corner door appeared another older man, his coloring darker than Forrest's, and closer to Brandon's. Looking at Aiden and Michelle, he smiled and stepped fully into the light.

"Brock!" Aiden and Michelle gasped simultaneously.

"Hey Uncle Brock!" Brandon waved excitedly, "back from your house call?"

"Yep," Brock nodded in confirmation, "and it looks like I got back just in time!"

"You're gonna watch my battle?" Aiden's eyes were gleaming. He knew very well that Brock was the former gym leader, and was know a very accomplished Pokémon doctor with a background in Pokémon breeding; the field that so interested Brandon.

"Not only that, but I'd like to be the referee for this match; if it's alright with the two battlers."

"It's okay by me," Forrest snorted.

"Yes!" Aiden cheered, "That'd be awesome Brock! Thanks!"

Brock took his place at the side of the battlefield, while Michelle and Brandon took a seat on a bench located behind Aiden.

"Get ready for this," Aiden looked over his shoulder with a smirk. Brandon chuckled, and Michelle rolled her eyes.

"The gym battle between Forrest, the gym leader, and Aiden Ketchum, from Cerulean City, is about to begin!" Brock bellowed, raising both his arms in the air, "each of you will use one Pokémon, and whoever's Pokémon is knocked out first loses the match. Are we good?"

"Yes," Forrest and Aiden called out simultaneously.

"Release your Pokémon!" Brock ordered.

"Squirtle, get out there!" Aiden grinned down at the turtle Pokemon.

"Squirt!" Squirtle dashed out onto the battle field, placing his claws on his hips.

"Alright Steelix, come on out!" Forrest yelled, tossing a poke ball. Onto the field appeared a gigantic, metal snake creature, who growled ferociously at its small opposition.

"Steelix," Aiden mumbled, withdrawing his pokedex.

_Steelix, the iron snake Pokémon, and the evolved form of Onix. Steelix are about thirty feet in length, and are harder than any other Pokémon in the world._

"Aiden, you'll have the first move," Brock nodded towards the raven haired boy.

"Uh, sounds good to me," Aiden bit his lip.

"Battle begin!" Brock moved his arms out, signaling the start of the fight. Aiden pulled his cap on tighter, and prepared to make his first command.

"Squirtle, use tackle!"

"Squir!" Squirtle jumped forward, lowering his head as he ran.

"Is Aiden insane?" Michelle gasped. Brandon slapped a hand against his face and groaned. Squirtle's head made contact with Steelix's body, who didn't even bother to move. Shrieking in pain, Squirtle fell backwards, rubbing his now sore head. Steelix, meanwhile, was completely unharmed.

"What?" Aiden cried.

"Didn't you _hear _the pokedex?" Michelle screamed, "Steelix are the hardest Pokémon known to man!"

"I heard it!" Aiden retorted, anger flashing through his dark brown eyes.

"Just like his father," Brock murmured amusedly.

"Steelix, try iron tail!"

Roaring again, Steelix sent his glowing white tail barreling towards the flustered water type. Hitting the poor turtle Pokémon, Squirtle went flying backwards, crying out in pain.

"Squirtle!" Aiden wailed. Lying helplessly on the ground, Squirtle began to whimper angrily as he pushed himself back up. "There ya' go Squirtle! Come on, get back up!"

"Steelix, quickly, use stone edge!"

Steelix shot himself up dramatically, decent sized rocks flying up around him. Thrusting his body forward, the stones went flying straight for the still struggling Squirtle.

"Squirtle, dodge and use tail whip!"

"Squirtle!" The turtle Pokémon leaped desperately out of the way, falling in the process as fatigue began to take over. Slowly pulling himself back up, Squirtle went racing back towards Steelix, spinning around to whack Steelix with his blue tail.

"Bind!" Forrest ordered.

Steelix wrapped its steel tail around Squirtle, who was still uselessly hitting the iron snake with his floppy tail.. Picking up the squirming turtle Pokémon, Steelix tightened its grip, causing Squirtle to scream out in strong pain.

"Squirtle!" Aiden yelled.

"Squirtle was already pretty weak after Steelix's iron tail," Michelle mused sadly, "I don't think he'll make it out from this attack."

"I think you're right," Brandon nodded, "this could be the end of this match."

"Forrest, call off Steelix," Brock commanded his younger brother, "Squirtle has had enough."

"Hey, who's the gym leader here?" Forrest half teased, "I've been at this for quite some time now. I know what I'm doing!"

"Dad, come on!" Brandon tried, causing Aiden and Michelle to look confusedly at him, "if Steelix doesn't let go of Squirtle now, he's gonna' be _seriously_ hurt!"

Forrest sighed guiltily, "I can't ignore my own son…"

"But you can ignore me?" Brock cried.

Forrest chuckled lightly, "sorry Brock. But Brandon's just got a better hold on me! Steelix, let go of Squirtle! This match is over."

Steelix gave a nod and dropped Squirtle onto the ground, causing the turtle to let out a tiny moan.

"You could've done that more gently," Forrest noted.

"Squirtle!" Aiden ran out to his badly injured Pokémon, looking over him concernedly. Brock walked over and glanced at the water type, smiling gently.

"It's not so bad," Brock commented, taking the defeated creature into his arms, "I'll fix him up good as new." Aiden growled lowly, still looking down.

"I told you challenging the gym wasn't a good idea," Michelle walked over, shaking her head softly.

"You should probably train some more," Brandon added, "how about after Uncle Brock takes care of Squirtle, you and I have a practice battle?"

"Fine," Aiden narrowed his eyes, although he still wasn't looking up.

"Come on Aiden," Brandon jabbed the boy lightly in the ribs, "what would your dad say if he saw you acting this way?"

"He'd make fun of me," Aiden snorted, "then try to fire me up."

"Exactly!" Brandon raised a finger, "I may not be your _father, _but I _am _your best friend, so I'm the second best thing you can get!"

"You've got a point," Aiden gave in reluctantly, picking his head up, "fine. I'll battle you once Squirtle feels up to it."

**XXX**

"Your mother worries about you, you know," Brock commented as he rubbed some lotion onto Squirtle's sore head. The turtle Pokémon grunted unhappily, to which Brock responded by giving the Pokémon a pecca berry.

"I think that's pretty obvious," Michelle giggled, some red hair falling into her bright emerald eyes.

"Did you talk to her recently?" Aiden inquired as he tugged busily at his shoelaces.

"Just yesterday," Brock nodded, "she tries to act all tough on the outside, but I could pretty much tell she's freaking out. Her eyes were dull. I mean, I was used to seeing her act brave when we were younger, but you kids really softened her up."

"She'd kill you if she knew you said that," Aiden snickered.

"Probably," Brock mused, "so don't say a word!"

"No problem."

"Squirt!" Squirtle squeaked, eyes glimmering as he jumped to his feet.

"Hey buddy, you feeling better?" Aiden smiled. Squirtle glared at his trainer and turned around in order to give him a little smack with his tail. "Ow!" Aiden whined and rubbed the spot.

"I guess that's a yes," Michelle snickered.

"Alright Aiden, ready to battle?" Brandon grinned, folding his arms.

"You know it," Aiden flashed his mischievous eyes at his best friend.

"Uncle Brock, will you be the referee?" Brandon asked, heading over to the door.

"You bet!" Brock gave a smile and a nod.

"This should be very interesting," Michelle giggled, "_very _interesting."

**XXX**

"Alright Squirtle, get out there!"

"Squirtle!" The blue turtle leapt forward, determination set in his large eyes.

"Alright Cranidos, let's give Squirtle a workout!" Brandon called as he tossed a poke ball. From inside the sphere appeared a dinosaur like Pokémon, red eyes narrowed fiercely.

"Cranidos!" He roared softly, sticking out his sharp claws.

"Cranidos," Aiden showed off his lopsided smile, already knowing of Brandon's partner Pokémon. Either way, he flipped open his pokedex, scanning the Pokémon.

_Cranidos, the head butt Pokémon. Cranidos lived in jungles over one hundred million years ago, using its head butt attack to knock down obstructive trees and hunt down its prey._

"Squir," Squirtle growled at the rock type, who in turn tilted his head.

"Cranidos is so docile," Michelle giggled. Brandon overheard Michelle's comment, and turned to smile at the young red head.

"Isn't he awesome?" Brandon chuckled, "that's why he makes such a great buddy!"

"Great buddy or not, he's going down," Aiden chuckled dauntingly.

"Bring it on, Ketchum," Brandon motioned with his hand, "you make the first move!"

"Alright, battle begin!" Brock called, throwing his hands up.

"Squirtle, use tackle!" Aiden called out quickly.

"Squirt!" Squirtle lowered his head and began to dash forward, preparing to run straight into the fossil Pokémon.

"Is that all you got?" Brandon chuckled, "Cranidos, use head butt!"

"Cran!" Cranidos ran forward as well, causing the two Pokémon's heads to smash together. Cranidos, however, was much stronger than Squirtle, and he sent the turtle Pokémon flying backwards.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried as the water type quaked in the grass. The Pokémon got back up slowly, glaring at Cranidos. "Alright. Let's try tail whip!"

"Squir!" Squirtle jumped up in the air and nailed Cranidos in the face with his tail, sending the fossil Pokémon toppling down.

"Ah, Cranidos!" Brandon called. The head butt Pokémon jumped up rather quickly, eyes blazing with determination. "Use focus energy!"

Cranidos nodded and became surrounded by a faint white light, his skull glowing a bright blue. Michelle blinked curiously, and Pichu watched the scene with pure fascination.

"Cranidos is focusing all of his energy for his next attack," Brock nodded, "a smart move by Brandon."

"We're not gonna let him take advantage of a little power up!" Aiden huffed, "Squirtle, use your tackle attack one more time!"

As Squirtle raced forward once again, Brandon chuckled deviously, moving some hair out of his eyes. "Perfect. Cranidos, use take down!"

Cranidos charged towards Squirtle, his body becoming surrounded by a yellow aura. The two collided at full force, causing a small explosion. Aiden and Brandon shielded their eyes from the rising smoke, and when it cleared and they could finally look, both boys gasped when they found their Pokémon unconscious on the ground.

"Well, what do you know," Brock chuckled, "it's a draw!"

"Man," Aiden huffed, retrieving his injured Pokémon.

"You're not bad buddy," Brandon snickered towards Aiden once he was positive Cranidos was alright, "I think this battle will have done a world of good for you and Squirtle."

"Thanks!" Aiden grinned, "Now, I think Squirtle and I are ready to take on your dad again!"

"Already?" Michelle asked skeptically.

"This time we're ready," Aiden nodded with a grin, "I'm sure of it!"

**XXX**

"Back so soon?" Forrest snickered.

"We're going to win this time," Aiden smirked, "you can count on it!"

"If you're sure," Forrest chuckled, "let's go, Steelix!" The iron snake Pokémon appeared before his trainer once again, his expression becoming confused at the sight of Aiden.

"Alright," Aiden retrieved Squirtle's poke ball, "let's go Squirtle!" The water type materialized on the battle field, his large brown eyes narrowing when they set themselves on Steelix.

"It looks like the last battle created a nice little rivalry for Squirtle," Brandon commented from the sidelines, "this should be very entertaining!"

"You'll get the first move," Forrest nodded towards Aiden, who simply blinked in response.

"Battle begin!" Brock called, waving his arms up.

"Squirtle, run behind Steelix!" Aiden commanded.

"Huh?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"What's he doing?" Brandon wondered.

"Squirt?" Squirtle looked back at Aiden, clearly perplexed by the order.

"Don't just stand there!" Aiden became flustered, "go!" Squirtle's eyes narrowed once again, but he finally obeyed the raven haired boy and dashed behind the giant steel type.

"That's not going to work," Forrest mused, "Steelix, use iron tail!"

Steelix roared and swung his glowing white tail at the turtle esque Pokémon.

"Jump Squirtle!" Aiden called. Squirtle leapt over Steelix's tail, narrowly avoiding being hit.

"What?" Forrest gasped.

"Awesome!" Aiden cheered, "Now Squirtle, use tail whip!"

"Squirtle!" Squirtle slapped his small blue tail against Steelix's back, leaving nothing but a little mark on the powerful Pokémon's back.

"We can get this back, no problem," Forrest noted quietly. After thinking for a moment, he yelled out, "Steelix! DragonBreath!"

"What's DragonBreath?"Michelle sounded alarmed.

"It's a dragon type move," Brandon replied, "and probably Steelix's strongest."

The iron snake Pokémon fired a yellow beam of light at Squirtle, the fireball directly hitting the water type. Squirtle cried out helplessly and skidded backwards, pain evident all over the little Pokémon's face.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried, "Get up, please!" No response from the water type. "Squirtle, come on! Get up!"

"Squirtle is…" Brock began, but he was quickly stopped by a collection of gentle mutterings.

"Squir…squirtle…" Squirtle was slowly picking himself up, wincing in severe pain. Aiden, meanwhile, was wide eyed in disbelief. His Squirtle was really listening to him! He was so determined! Aiden couldn't have been more proud of the water type. Once Squirtle was back on his hind claws, he opened up his mouth, unleashing several bubbles. Aiden blinked confusedly.

"What's up with Squirtle?" Michelle glanced at Brandon.

"I…I think Squirtle just learned a new move!" Brandon gasped.

"What?" Michelle grew wide eyed. Brandon continued to watch Squirtle blow bubbles for a few more seconds, before suddenly getting an idea.

"Aiden!" Brandon called, causing the raven haired boy to turn his head, "that's bubble! Squirtle just learned bubble!"

"Bubble…" Aiden repeated quietly to himself. His face lighting up, Aiden cheered, "Hey! That's a water type move! Finally!" Pointing ahead, he called strongly, "Squirtle! Use bubble on Steelix!"

"Squir!" Squirtle increased the stream of the bubbles, sending them full blast at Forrest's Pokémon. Steelix cried out in pain as he was pelted with the bubbles, his eyes wincing tightly.

"Don't let it get to you Steelix!" Forrest yelled, "Use iron tail again!"

"Not so fast!" Aiden held out his hand, "Squirtle, aim the bubble at Steelix's face!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle leaned his head up, shooting the bubble attack right into Steelix's eyes. The iron snake Pokémon thrashed around, trying desperately to escape the onslaught. But it was no use. After a few more moments, Steelix let out a ferocious roar and collapsed on the battle field, his eyes shut as he moaned in pain.

"Steelix is unable to battle!" Brock announced, "Which means Squirtle is the winner! And the victory goes to Aiden!"

"We…we won," Aiden blinked. A huge smile suddenly appearing on his face, Aiden punched the air and screamed, "We did it! Our first badge! Yeah Squirtle!"

"Squirtle," the water type smirked and folded his arms.

"Well what do you know," Brock murmured fondly, "Aiden really _is _like his father."

"Squirtle is too proud for his own good," Michelle giggled to herself.

"Wow, so Aiden really beat my Dad, huh?" Brandon chuckled, "kid's got potential."

"That was an impressive battle, Aiden!" Forrest complimented as he recalled Steelix to his poke ball, "you really know how to work the fight in your favor."

"Thanks!" Aiden grinned, his eyes dancing with happiness.

"Take this as proof of your victory at the Pewter City gym," Forrest insisted as he walked towards the boy and held out an open palm. Aiden stared into the gym leader's hand, and when he caught sight of the glittering boulder badge, his smile widened even further.

"Thank you so much Forrest!" Aiden thanked the man heartily as he took the symbol from the older man. Holding it up victoriously, he yelled, "alright! My very first badge!"

"You're going to do great things Aiden," Brock smiled at the ten year old, "your parents are going to be very proud of you."

"Thanks Brock," Aiden looked rather sheepish.

"And you too, Michelle," Brock added as he looked at the red head.

"I certainly hope so," Michelle blushed slightly.

"Dad?" Brandon suddenly piped up. Brock and Forrest both turned to look at the young boy, their faces a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"Yes son?" Forrest smirked.

"Well, I was wondering, if it was alright with you," Brandon then turned his attention to Aiden and Michelle, "and these two right here," he added with a smirk, "If I went on a journey."

"A journey?" Forrest repeated.

"You mean with us?" Michelle asked.

"If it would be alright with you," Brandon smiled shyly, "I've wanted to go out for a little while, but I didn't really want to go on my own. You two are my best friends, so why not go together?"

"Yeah, that'd be so much fun!" Aiden jumped.

"I'd love to have you along!" Michelle trilled.

"Well, what do you say, Dad?" Brandon's voice was very hopeful.

"Ah, how can I say no to that face?" Forrest smiled sadly, "Not to mention going on a journey will certainly help you on your road to becoming a Pokémon breeder. You can go."

"Thanks Dad!" Brandon raced forward to give him a hug.

"I'm going to miss you though," Forrest frowned now as he hugged the boy back, "your mother as well. You promise to call every now and then?"

"Of course," Brandon nodded, "I'll make it a priority!"

"Well, this might help then!" Brock reached into his pocket and retrieved a blue and black device, holding it out to his young nephew.

"Is…is that a Pokegear?" Brandon gasped.

"It sure is," Brock nodded, "just think of it as an early birthday present. It's already got a map of Kanto downloaded onto it. Not to mention you can call people on it! I've already programmed the home number in. You can register the numbers of trainers you meet along the way as well."

"And by that, he means _not _just pretty girls!" Forrest added sternly as Brock handed the Pokegear to Brandon. The young boy had the same flirtatious habits as his Uncle Brock.

"I got it; I got it," Brandon chuckled, "thanks Dad."

"Well, you three have a long road ahead of you," Brock smiled at the trio before him, "but I think you'll all be okay as long as you have each other."

"Yeah," Michelle smiled, "it'll be just like you and our parents!"

"All the arguing between the raven haired boy and red headed girl included," Brandon snickered.

"Not funny!" Aiden and Michelle cried simultaneously.

* * *

**Now you've met Aiden and Michelle's travelling partner: Brandon! Brock's nephew and an aspiring Pokemon Breeder :)**

**Now that Aiden's obtained his first badge, what will the group do next? Keep on reading to find out! Thanks for all of the reviews so far, they've been awesome! The new chapter (they're long from now on!) should be up next week!**


	6. Midnight Mystery at Mt Moon!

**Hello, everyone! I'm back! Thank goodness I am, I almost lost everything I've ever written due to a massive, unexpected computer crash...which totally sucked, btw. But, it's okay, I saved everything! That also means IT'S NEW LAPTOP TIME! Yay, I'm Cilan :P**

**Last time: Aiden decided to challenge Forrest, the leader of the Pewter City gym, to a battle. Despite the protests of Michelle and Brandon, their long time friend and Forrest's son, Aiden goes through with the match and promptly loses to Forrest and his Steelix. After Squirtle is patched up by a familair face, Brock, who is now a renowned Pokemon doctor, Aiden and Brandon have a practice match to give Squirtle some more experience before the gym rematch. During the second battle, Squirtle learns bubble, and Aiden combines it with his new strategy in order to finally defeat Forrest and win his first badge: the Boulder Badge! Before he and Michelle leave, however, Brandon asks if he can travel with the two, wanting to become an experienced Pokemon Breeder. Aiden and Michelle agree, and earn a brand new travelling companion, equipped with a Pokegear and a bad flirting habit...**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Midnight Mystery at Mt. Moon!**

"Route 3…this leads us right through Mt. Moon."

Michelle eyed Brandon with a certain look of hesitance. "Mt. Moon?"

"Yeah," Brandon smiled over his shoulder at the girl. When he noticed her less than thrilled expression, however, his lips quickly bent into a frown. "What's wrong, Michelle?"

"There aren't any…bug types in Mt. Moon, are there?" Michelle trembled at the thought.

"No, just a bunch of Zubat," Brandon laughed. "Mt. Moon really isn't all that scary. I used to go there all the time with my Dad and Uncle Brock to search for fossils."

"Thinking there are bugs in Mt. Moon, what a dummy," Aiden chuckled. This comment was met with a swift smack in the back of the head. "OW! HEY!"

He turned and looked at Michelle, who had her arms folded and was looking off to the side as though nothing had just happened. When she felt her brother's gaze on her, Michelle looked towards him and uttered a simple, "what?"

"You just hit me!"

"I did not," Michelle refuted innocently.

"You little liar!"

"I'm not lying," Michelle shrugged.

"I'm gonna' tell on you!" Aiden stormed.

"Oh yeah?" Michelle smirked. "To who?"

"Mom!"

"She won't believe you."

"Will too!"

"Nuh uh."

"Yeah huh!"

"No."

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"NO!"

"YE-"

"GUYS!" Brandon yelled, covering his ears as he did so. Aiden and Michelle stopped arguing and looked at their friend in shock. They had never heard him yell that loudly before. "Sorry," Brandon blushed slightly as he lowered his hands, "but I'd _really_ appreciate it if you two could go maybe 20 minutes without trying to tear each other's throats out."

Michelle twisted her mouth and drawled, "Well, I _guess _I could try. Good luck with Aiden, though."

"Why you little-"

Aiden's retort was cut off by a loud, echoing screech. The group stopped, their eyes shifting from side to side in search of the source of that terrible noise.

"What was that?" Michelle blinked.

"Sounds kinda' like someone's in pain," Aiden commented.

"Was it a Pokémon?" Brandon continued looking around.

Standing on her toes, Michelle realized that there was a cave opening several feet ahead of them.

"Guys!" She called to the boys. "I think it came from that cave just up ahead!"

Brandon hurried up next to Michelle and gasped quietly. "That's Mt. Moon!"

"I was expecting it to look a little different," Aiden came up to Michelle's other side, tilting his head. "Isn't it supposed to glow or something?"

"Yeah, at night, Brandon nodded. "It's because Mt. Moon is predominantly made up of moon stones, which actually form from shards of fallen meteors."

"You sure know a lot about this place, Brandon," Michelle smirked.

"I've spent a lot of time here," Brandon grinned at the aspiring coordinator.

Suddenly, a burst of fire shot out of the cave, alarming the three young trainers.

"What in the world was _that?_" Michelle shrieked.

"That was ember!" Brandon awed.

"Zubat can use ember?" Aiden blinked.

Huffing, Michelle folded her arms and sniped, "Zubat, a poison and flying type, using _ember?_ Who's asking the dumb questions now?"

"Then why else would there be an ember attack coming from the cave?" Aiden bit.

"I…don't have an answer for that one," Michelle conceded.

At that moment, a group of frantic Zubat flew out of the cave, shrieking and flying away as if their lives depended on it. Now Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon were even _more _confused.

"Those Zubat seem pretty freaked out," Aiden observed. "But that can't be right, can it?"

"This is their natural habitat," Brandon nodded. "So they definitely shouldn't be freaking out like that."

"Maybe something disturbed them," Michelle suggested. "Like that ember."

"Let's go inside and find out!" Aiden decided, running into the cave opening. Brandon and Michelle both stared at each other with wide eyes, but knew there was no stopping the determined, and somewhat stupid, young trainer.

"We better catch up to my stupid brother before he gets killed or something," Michelle muttered, strolling into the cave herself.

Smirking, Brandon followed after Michelle and hummed, "oh, I can just _feel _the sibling love!"

Inside the cave, Aiden stopped shortly after entering. Michelle accidentally walked into her brother, not realizing he had stopped so abruptly.

"Aiden!" Michelle snapped. "Move!"

"I can't see anything!" Aiden complained. "It's too dark in here!"

"I'll take care of that."

A light emerged from behind Aiden and Michelle, causing them to jump. Spinning around, they saw Brandon standing several feet behind them holding onto a flashlight, which he must've fished out of his bag while the two were bickering.

"Much better," Aiden beamed. "Thanks, Brandon!"

"Don't mention it!" Brandon grinned. "Now, to find out where that ember attack came from…"

As if on cue, another flash of ember appeared before the group, causing more Zubat to go flying. Michelle shrieked out of surprise and subconsciously grabbed onto Aiden's arm, simply needing something to hold out of fear.

"What kind of Pokémon could possibly be using ember in here?" Aiden furrowed his brow in deep thought.

"Through all my years coming to Mt. Moon, I've never seen a Pokémon living in here that could use fire type moves," Brandon assisted the raven haired boy in his thinking. "Maybe it's an intruder."

"An intruder?" Aiden repeated.

"A wild Pokémon living around the area of the mountain might've snuck in, looking for shelter or a battle," Brandon suggested. "It's pretty rare, but I've heard of it happening."

"A fire type, though?" Michelle finally managed to find her voice.

"Anything's possible," Brandon shrugged.

Pichu, who had been sitting on Michelle's shoulder surprisingly quiet throughout the whole ordeal, suddenly sprang to life. The baby Pokémon's ears twitched and she pointed ahead with one of her little paws.

"Pichu! Pichu!" Pichu cried.

Michelle turned her eyes onto her little partner, genuine curiosity set into the emerald orbs. "What's up, Pichu? Did you get something?"

"Pi!" Pichu nodded. "Pichupi!"

"I think Pichu caught something's scent," Michelle informed the boys.

The group began to move forward, Pichu encouraging them the entire way with little squeaks. Eventually, they found their way to the heart of the cave, where a giant moon stone sat dull and not shining in the wide open center. In the corner, several feet away from the stone, stood a gaggle of trembling Clefairy, who looked beyond terrified for some reason.

"Clefairy?" Michelle whispered, retrieving her pokedex to scan the alien like creatures.

_Clefairy, the fairy Pokémon. Clefairy are very shy and timid creatures, who rarely show themselves to humans. They are among the most intelligent of all Pokémon, and use their signature move Metronome to teleport from place to place._

"Well, they sure _seem_ shy and timid," Michelle commented as she put her pokedex back in her bag. "I wonder why they're shaking like that."

"They must be scared of something," Brandon concluded.

"Growl!"

The young trio jumped as an ember attack was fired straight at them, causing the Clefairy shuddering in the corner of the cave to cry out in terror. Growling, Aiden looked up with an angry expression and saw the source of the ember attack slowly walking out of the shadows, the small being snarling at him and his travelling companions.

"Brandon, I think you were right," Aiden looked over his shoulder at the future Pokémon breeder.

"About what?" Brandon turned his head.

"A wild Pokémon getting into the cave," Aiden motioned his head towards the newly appeared Pokémon. "Take a look."

Brandon and Michelle were now staring at the same creature as Aiden, and both were surprised by what they saw.

"Growlithe?" Brandon and Michelle questioned simultaneously.

"Ever seen a Growlithe in Mt. Moon before?" Aiden asked Brandon.

"Never," the dark pre teen shook his head.

"So what's it doing in here?" Michelle wondered aloud.

"Growl! Ithe!" The fire type barked at the young trainers, who backed away a few steps out of concern for their well being.

"Whatever the reason is, that Growlithe doesn't sound too happy," Brandon noted.

"Cle…fairy…"

The three looked back over at the group of scared Clefairy. From the back, Michelle noticed that two of the Clefairy were standing guard in front of three smaller pink beings, who looked similar to the group in front of them but not exactly the same.

"Guys, look," Michelle nudged her partners. "The Clefairy are protecting something."

Aiden soon saw the smaller Pokémon as well, and got out his pokedex to point at the little ones. "Let's check it out."

_Cleffa, the star shape Pokémon, and the pre-evolved form of Clefairy. Meteor showers attract Cleffa and cause the young Pokémon to dance happily amongst each other._

"Cleffa are baby Pokémon, like Pichu," Brandon added.

"Pi!" Pichu squealed happily at the mention of her name. She liked the idea of having something in common with other Pokémon.

"So, are those Cleffa the babies of those two Clefairy?" Michelle questioned.

"It's highly possible," Brandon nodded.

"Growl!"

The group watched as Growlithe charged towards the Clefairy, barking endlessly at the innocent normal types who trembled under the fire type's presence.

"I don't like the way that Growlithe is acting!" Michelle snarled.

"Pi chu!" Pichu agreed angrily.

"What's he gettin' all mad at the Clefairy for?" Aiden huffed. "This is _their _home, not his!"

"If I had to guess, I would say that Growlithe is trying to take over the mountain as his territory, and wants all the other Pokémon inhabiting the mountain to leave as a result," Brandon mused.

"That must be why those Zubat were all freaked out before," Michelle came to realization. "Growlithe was firing off ember attacks at them to force them to leave!"

Growling, Aiden stepped forward and shouted at Growlithe, "hey! Leave those Clefairy alone! You have no right to take over Mt. Moon!"

Displeased that Aiden was disrupting his mission, Growlithe turned around and set his black eyes on Aiden, looking ready to attack the boy.

"I mean it!" Aiden yelled.

Barking, Growlithe jumped forward with an open mouth, charging right at Aiden. With a shriek, Aiden jumped out of the way and fell down right in front of the Clefairy. One of the pink Pokémon reached out and patted Aiden's shoulder, quietly murmuring, "fairy?"

"Yeah, I'm just fine," Aiden smiled at the fairy Pokémon. "Thanks!"

"I'm pretty sure that Growlithe just tried to use bite on Aiden," Brandon sighed.

"That would've really hurt if it had connected," Michelle frowned, feeling a sense of concern for her twin brother.

Getting back to his feet, Aiden returned his attention to the angry Growlithe and bit, "I'm not done with you yet! I will not let you torture these Clefairy that way! It's _wrong!_"

"Growl!" Growlithe charged towards Aiden once again.

"Aiden, look out!" Michelle cried.

Effortlessly, Aiden jumped out of the way, one of his hands forming a fist against his chest as he got up to his knees and continued glaring at the fire type that stood before him.

"Wait…I have a water Pokémon!" Aiden gasped in realization. Reaching for his poke ball, Aiden tossed it and yelled, "Squirtle, I need your help!"

The blue turtle materialized in front of his trainer, proudly banging on his chest once he was released.

"Squirt!"

"Squirtle, use bubble beam on Growlithe!" Aiden demanded.

"Squirtle!" The water type unleashed his newest attack, hitting Growlithe directly in the face. Shaking his fur out, Growlithe ran forward and bit Squirtle on the arm, causing Aiden's partner to cry out in pain.

"No, Squirtle!" Aiden yelled.

"Brandon, I think we should help," Michelle turned towards the aspiring breeder.

"Right," Brandon nodded. He grabbed a poke ball and called, "Cranidos, use take down!"

The head butt Pokémon emerged and charged right for Growlithe, crushing the fire type with his powerful attack. Growlithe howled and went flying backwards, hitting the wall of the mountain.

"Help us out, Butterfree!" Michelle tossed her own poke ball. "Stun spore!"

The flying type appeared and rapidly flapped her wings, creating a flurry of orange powder. Growlithe, who was still dazed from hitting the wall, became enshrouded in the mist and was soon left completely unable to move.

"Alright, way to go, Butterfree!" Michelle complimented her Pokémon.

"Pichu, pichupi!" Pichu added from the girl's shoulder.

"What should we do with Growlithe now that he's stunned?" Aiden looked between his sister and best friend.

"Maybe we should take him out of the cave and put him back into the wild," Michelle suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Aiden shrugged. He approached the paralyzed puppy and went to pick it up, but was interrupted by the sound of a loud explosion.

"What was that?" Michelle gasped.

Before anyone could react, the Clefairy, Cleffa, and Growlithe were all gathered up in a net and pulled up through a giant hole that had been blown into the top of the mountain clearing.

"Hey!" Aiden snapped, looking up through the hole.

"Aw, aren't you an eloquent young man?" A feminine voice drawled sarcastically.

"It's not his fault he has such a tiny brain," a male voice added laughingly.

"Hey, _I'm _the only one allowed to make fun of Aiden!" Michelle yelled. "Who are you clowns, anyway?"

"Silly girl," the female voice broke through yet again, "I'm surprised you don't remember my gorgeous voice from our previous encounter!"

"Previous encounter?" Michelle repeated inquiringly.

Jumping down through the hole, a trio of figures appeared: a boy, a girl, and a Pokémon. Aiden and Michelle recognized them right away, but Brandon wasn't familiar with the group.

"Team Rocket!" Michelle and Aiden barked at the same time.

"_This_ is Team Rocket?" Brandon blinked. "The same ones that followed my uncle and your parents around?"

"It's a new generation of 'em," Aiden growled.

"They're probably twice as useless!" Michelle stormed.

"Oooh, look Jason, a new brat has tagged along with the baby brats!" Jewel tugged at her brother's arm.

"Ah, yes, hello there, big brat!" Jason greeted Brandon with a wave.

"Big brat?" Brandon raised an eyebrow.

"Just what do you think you're doing with those Pokémon, huh?" Aiden interrupted Team Rocket's little fawning session over Brandon.

"Easy, we're bringing them to the boss," Jason smirked deviously.

"What boss?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"None of _your_ business," Jewel huffed.

"I'll make it my business!" Michelle cried. "Pichu, use thunder shock on the nets!"

"Pi…CHU!" Pichu fired off her signature move at the nets full of Pokémon, but it did no good.

"Huh?" Michelle gasped in horror. Pichu was panting heavily on her shoulder, exhausted from using the move. "I don't understand, why didn't that work?"

"Because these nets are shock proof!" Jewel cackled. "We learned our lesson from last time."

"Hey, Jewel, check out the Pichu!" Sneasel, who had remained rather quiet during the whole exchange, pointed a claw at the baby electric type. "It looks like it's gonna pass out at any minute!"

"Yeah, what's wrong with it?" Jewel folded her arms.

"It's still very young, so using attacks like thunder shock will cause damage to Pichu when it uses them," Jason educated his partners in crime.

"Huh, so maybe it _is _useless," Jewel shrugged.

"My Pichu is _not _useless!" Michelle bit.

"What losers," Aiden threw in. "Squirtle, try using bubble beam on the nets!"

"Squirt!" The water type used its newest attack to assault the nets that had trapped the Clefairy, Cleffa, and Growlithe. At this point, Growlithe was beginning to regain his strength, and he watched Aiden with careful black eyes.

The evil trio laughed at Aiden's attempts to stop their plan, but quickly halted when they realized…it had _worked._

"What?" Jewel panicked. Grabbing Jason's collar, she shook him and yelled, "You told me you got the protected nets!"

"Only from electric attacks!" Jason defended himself. "I didn't think we would need to defend against any other attacks!"

"WHAT?" Jewel was absolutely infuriated, her whole face turning red as fire burned in her violet eyes.

"Hurry, run!" Brandon encouraged the extricated Pokémon. The Cleffa and Clefairy took his advice, running down the cave to find someplace safer, but Growlithe just stood in place, eyes still locked on Aiden.

"You crooks are going to be sorry now," Michelle grumbled. "Pichu, are you up for another attack?"

"Chu!" Pichu nodded eagerly, seeming to have completely recovered from before.

"Awesome!" Michelle beamed. "Pichu, quick, use thunder shock on Team Rocket!"

"Pichu! Pi…CHU!" Pichu sent her electric move barreling towards the trio of devious figures. It was a direct hit, sending them flying back out through the hole in the mountain which they had originally created to steal the Cleffa and Clefairy.

"Another failure!" Jewel wailed, kicking Jason in the back as they soared. "This is all _YOUR _fault!"

"Me?" Jason shrieked.

"Yes, you!" Jewel seethed. "It definitely wasn't _MY _fault!"

"Says the girl who spent all the time before attacking the mountain putting on a face full of make up," Sneasel sighed.

"HEY!" Jewel kicked the Pokémon now. "WATCH IT!"

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon watched the evil group fly off into the air, disappearing into a little sparkle in the night sky.

"Good riddance," Michelle sighed, lifting the completely worn Pichu off of her shoulder in order to cradle the tiny thing in her arms.

"Man, it got late," Aiden murmured. "We'd better get Growlithe back out into the-"

"Growl!"

Aiden jumped, surprised to see the fire type back on his paws and looking rather agitated.

"Oh man, Butterfree's stun spore wore off," Brandon noted.

"And Growlithe doesn't look too happy…" Michelle cautiously added.

Aiden braced himself for another attack from the puppy Pokémon, but was surprised when nothing happened. Instead, the fire type just kept barking at Aiden, and unless the raven haired boy was mistaken, it sounded like barks of determination.

"What's up with you?" Aiden mused.

"Aiden…I think Growlithe wants to battle," Brandon looked up at his best friend.

"Battle?" Aiden seemed shocked. Glancing back down at Growlithe, Aiden nodded and confirmed, "Alright, I'll battle you. But if I do, you have to leave the cave and all of those Cleffa and Clefairy alone."

"Growl!" Growlithe agreed.

"Awesome," Aiden grinned. "Then let's go! Squirtle, let's see what you've got!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle jumped forward, batting his tail back and forth in an excitable manner.

"Growl! Ithe!" Growlithe barked, narrowing his eyes at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, use tackle!" Aiden commanded.

The blue turtle raced forward with his head down, preparing to undertake the fire puppy Pokémon. In response, Growlithe huffed and began to dig his claws into the ground of the cave, eventually building a fairly deep hole and jumping into it.

"Awesome, Growlithe just used dig!" Aiden marveled.

"Aiden, pay attention to the battle!" Michelle scolded.

"Oh, right," Aiden shook his head. "Squirtle, don't come off your guard! Keep your eyes peeled for Growlithe!"

"Squir…" Squirtle began to look around cautiously, waiting for the fire type to make its reappearance. From behind the turtle, the dirt began to rise, and Growlithe jumped out, firing off an ember attack before Aiden or Squirtle could ever react.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried out.

The water type shouted and began to run around in circles, rubbing at the spot on his shell that had been burned by the fire attack. Growlithe, in turn, landed on all fours, simply staring curiously after Squirtle as he ran around in circles.

"Come on, Squirtle, cut it out!" Aiden groaned. "Try your bubble attack!"

"Squir!" Squirtle finally calmed down and fired off a series of bubbles at Growlithe. These connected right away, causing the fire type to whimper and rub at his face with his paws.

"Alright!" Aiden cheered. "Now use tail whip!"

Squirtle jumped in the air and struck his tail against Growlithe's back. Howling, the puppy Pokémon fell onto his stomach and struggled to get back up to his feet.

"Time to finish this up," Aiden smirked. "Squirtle, use-"

"Aiden, stop!" Michelle ordered.

"Huh?" Aiden looked up at his sister in surprise, which quickly melted into annoyance. "Michelle! I'm trying to battle here!"

"You're done," Michelle placed her hands on her hips. "Growlithe is obviously unable to go on. Don't' annihilate him even further!"

"You and your big words," Aiden huffed.

"Michelle's got a point," Brandon agreed. "Growlithe is really beaten down. In fact, he might be really injured…"

"What?" Aiden looked down at the fire type, and realized he was shaking. Not out of fear, but of total exhaustion. "You're right, Growlithe doesn't look too good."

Approaching the beaten Pokémon, Brandon knelt down next to its trembling figure and ran a hand over the fire type's side. Almost immediately, Brandon gasped and pulled his hand away. "Whoa…"

"What is it?" Aiden blinked.

"I can feel its ribs," Brandon clutched his hand. "And after it got so tired after such little fighting…I'm afraid that this Growlithe hasn't eaten in days."

"The poor thing…" Michelle frowned. "I wonder why he hasn't eaten?"

"I don't know, but we definitely need to get some food into his system," Brandon stood up. "Aiden, Michelle, why don't you make Growlithe comfortable while I whip up dinner? It's getting late, and we could _all _use something to eat."

The twins agreed and began to work on settling Growlithe. Michelle pulled a brown fleece blanket out of Brandon's backpack and laid it down on the floor cave. Aiden, in turn, gathered Growlithe into his arms and placed the fire type down on the blanket, pulling up the sides to cover the exhausted Pokémon's body. Michelle, meanwhile, stroked the puppy's tuft of cream hair, smiling as the little dog whimpered happily in his shallow sleep.

Brandon, meanwhile, was busy preparing dinner over a hot fire in the corner of the cave after quickly running out to fetch firewood. Fortunately for both him and his travelling companions, Brandon had been taught by Brock how to cook starting at a young age, and was now capable of making good just as delicious as his uncle.

While letting the soup simmer, Brandon took out the cans of Pokémon food and poured them into five separate bowls, one each for Pichu, Butterfree, Squirtle, Cranidos, and Growlithe. Once their own Pokémon were busily eating, Brandon brought the last remaining bowl over to the lightly sleeping Growlithe, placing the food by the Pokémon's head.

Growlithe's nose began to twitch, the scent of the food filling his nostrils. Slowly opening his eyes, Growlithe stretched and got up carefully, timidly approaching the food bowl in order to give it another sniff.

"Just putting the food down was enough to wake Growlithe up," Michelle noted. "His sense of smell must be incredible!"

"I never did check out Growlithe with my pokedex," Aiden pulled out the red device. "Let's see what it has to say!"

_Growlithe, the puppy Pokémon. As extremely loyal companions, Growlithe will stop at nothing to protect both its trainer and its territory. They also possess a powerful sense of smell, strong enough to identify the emotions of others._

"Awesome!" Aiden beamed. "Growlithe is a pretty cool Pokémon."

"Growl!"

Aiden and Michelle were both alerted when Growlithe barked quietly. Much to their delight, it was a bark of joy, and the fire type was now busily eating his food without a single glance up.

"Brandon, Growlithe really seems to be enjoying your food!" Michelle giggled.

"I would certainly hope so, considering he was starved," Brandon chuckled softly.

"I'm glad he won't be hungry anymore after this," Aiden smiled. "But I still wonder _why _he was starved…"

The soup was soon finished, and the trainers began to eat along with their Pokémon. Growlithe finished before anyone else and yawned before falling back asleep on the blanket that Michelle had laid down for him.

"What a cutie," Michelle trilled. "He seems completely different from when we first ran into him this afternoon!"

"A little bit of food and sleep will work wonders on a grumpy Pokémon," Brandon nodded.

"So, where are we going to sleep tonight?" Aiden asked. "In here?"

"Yeah," Brandon confirmed. "It'll be just fine. I've camped in here with my Dad and Uncle Brock before. The Pokémon never seem to mind, as long as you don't bother 'em, of course. We can even stay right here in this clearing! All we need to do is set up our sleeping bags."

Once the food was polished off and the dishes were cleaned, the trainers decided it was time to head off to sleep. All three rolled out their sleeping bags: Aiden's red, Michelle's bright blue with a light blue floral print on the side, and Brandon's dark green with lighter green stripes. Pichu was the only Pokémon who remained out, having curled up on top of Michelle's sleeping bag as soon as it was rolled out.

"Aw, my little baby," Michelle cooed, scratching behind Pichu's ears for awhile. Since Pichu was just a baby, she fell asleep earlier than everyone else.

Michelle and Brandon were the first ones to change into their pajamas, while Aiden was the last, spending most of his time before bed checking on Growlithe, who was still fast asleep in Brandon's warm fleece blanket. Once he was sure that the puppy Pokémon was content, Aiden crawled into his own sleeping bag, quickly falling asleep with a smile on his face as he kept his eyes locked on the snoozing Growlithe.

**XXX**

A few hours later, Aiden groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes. He hated when he randomly woke up in the middle of the night. It had been happening ever since he was a little boy. His mother claimed it was because Aiden had always been a light sleeper. Aiden couldn't be sure of the reason himself, but all he knew was that he didn't like it.

Sitting up, Aiden rubbed at his eyes and looked over his shoulder to see what Growlithe was up to. Gasping quietly, his eyes grew wide when he realized that Growlithe was no longer curled up in the makeshift bed that he and Michelle had fashioned for the Pokémon.

Jumping up, Aiden began to wander down the cave, his dark brown eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness as he blinked them repeatedly. Amazingly enough, it became lighter as Aiden walked, which greatly confused the young trainer. It was late at night, after all. So why was it bright enough to be mistaken as daytime?

Continuing his walk, Aiden eventually stumbled upon the light source, gasping when he realized what was casting the bright light throughout the cave.

In the middle of this new clearing was a huge rock, although it held an actual luster to it. The rock was a dark silver-gray, shimmering so brightly that it easily rivaled the light shed from the moon. It was smooth, for the most part, although there were various spots and patches that stuck out in jagged shards.

"Clefairy! Clefairy! Clefairy!"

Aiden tilted his head around the rock and pulled back in surprise when the same group of Clefairy from before jumped out from behind the rock, dancing around it in exuberant fashion.

"Wow, those Clefairy sure look happy," Aiden chuckled. "That rock must be special to 'em!"

"Growl."

"Huh?" Aiden turned his head to the right, looking slightly up. On a throne of rocks, which were simply plain and not at all sparkling like the conglomerate in the center clearing, sat Growlithe, watching the happy normal types with calm black eyes. "Growlithe?"

The fire type set his eyes on Aiden before breathing out softly and placing his attention back onto the Clefairy.

"What're you doing here?" Aiden moved closer to the puppy Pokémon. "I was worried when I saw you were gone. I kinda' thought you ran away."

"Lithe," Growlithe huffed, whipping his tail just once.

"So you're just watching the Clefairy?" Aiden prodded.

Growlithe nodded just once before lowering his head onto his paws, eyes following curiously after the Clefairy as they leapt around. In the corner, Aiden noticed, the three little Cleffa were fast asleep, all cuddled up together for warmth and protection.

"If you like the Clefairy, how come you were terrorizing them before?" Aiden asked the fire type. Growlithe's ears twitched, but he didn't bark or even whine in response. "It just doesn't make sense to me."

Growlithe turned his attention onto Aiden and perked his head up in interest. Aiden didn't notice this change in Growlithe's posture, too transfixed by the actions of the Clefairy. Growlithe just kept staring at the boy, however, contemplating something in his head as he observed the human with genuine awareness.

**XXX**

The next morning, Brandon and Michelle woke up at just about the same time, stretching and slowly climbing out of their sleeping bags in order to face the new day.

"Good morning, Brandon, Aiden," Michelle smiled. She was always cheerful after getting a good night's sleep.

"Morning," Brandon replied with a yawn behind his hand. Aiden, however, didn't respond, which caused the red headed girl and her aspiring breeder companion to look at one another in bewilderment.

"Aiden?" Michelle questioned, skirting over to his sleeping bag. She nudged it with her foot, and was surprised to find that it was empty.

"He must've already gotten up," Brandon scratched his head.

"Good joke," Michelle huffed. "Aiden's never woken up before me a day in his life! He could sleep all day if you'd let him."

"Then where could he have gone?" Brandon folded his arms.

"Sleep walking?" Michelle suggested lamely.

"Come on, we'd better go looking for him," Brandon sighed, not even bothering to change out of the orange shirt and green shorts he used as sleepwear. Michelle, in turn, gathered a still sleeping Pichu in her arms and followed after the slightly older boy, feeling a little ridiculous to be walking around in her own pajamas: a long sleeved lilac top with darker purple accents and very short, violet colored shorts.

As the two walked down the small pathway inside the cave, they called out Aiden's name, hoping that the trainer would answer them. There was no reply, however, which caused the two to look at each other in slight concern.

"You don't think he'd run away, would you?" Michelle muttered.

"Why would Aiden do something like that?" Brandon mused.

"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but right before I followed you, I realized that Growlithe wasn't on the blanket," Michelle explained. "What if he and Aiden got into it again?"

"No way," Brandon shook his head. "Growlithe was way too weak and tired to do any kind of fighting."

"Maybe Aiden released him back into the wild," Michelle sighed, wishing her brother would just show up and make their lives easier.

The trainers eventually made their way into a clearing, gasping at the sight before them: a giant, glittering boulder set in the center of the clearing.

"Wow, that's the most beautiful rock I've ever seen in my life!" Michelle breathed. "It's so sparkly; it looks like you could make some really pretty jewelry out of it!"

"That's a moon stone," Brandon commented meekly.

"Like…the _evolutionary _moon stone?" Michelle questioned.

"That's right," Brandon nodded.

"But aren't evolution stones usually small? I've never seen or even heard of an evolution stone that big!"

"Sometimes, evolution stones can form and break off of a larger boulder," Brandon explained to the girl next to him. "This is especially common in moon stones, since they originate from shards of fallen meteors. They collect and grow much more easily than other evolutionary stones."

"Wow, there's so many amazing things to learn about the world!" Michelle beamed. "Even more than my Dad ever taught me! I can't wait to see what else there is for me to discover."

"Ugh, do you hafta' be so loud?"

Brandon and Michelle turned their heads, gasping at the sight of Aiden sitting against the wall of the cave and tiredly rubbing his eyes.

"Aiden?" Michelle blinked her big green eyes. "What are you doing in _this _part of the cave?" Turning towards Brandon, Michelle smirked, "I _told _you he was sleep walking!"

"Are you psychotic?" Aiden narrowed his eyes. "I didn't sleepwalk! I woke up in the middle of the night and walked here on my own free will! I was _definitely _awake, thank you very much."

"Rude," Michelle huffed, turning her head away in annoyance.

Looking up, Brandon realized that Growlithe was still asleep on a boulder that sat next to Aiden. "Has Growlithe been here this entire time?"

"Oh, yeah," Aiden grinned before chuckling amusedly. "I found him here when I took my midnight walk. He was watching the Clefairy dance around that giant rock, so I kinda' joined him. It was pretty cool to see all of those Clefairy get so excited over something like that!"

"Aiden, that big rock is a moon stone," Michelle's eyes were glowing at the thought that she was sharing this information that, to her, was newly learned. "That's why the Clefairy were so excited! Remember what the pokedex said?"

"Right, they dance around pieces of fallen meteors!" Aiden awed. "That's so cool! I had no idea that was a moon stone!"

"I didn't either, until Brandon told me," Michelle giggled, sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck. At that moment, Pichu woke up, letting out a big yawn before rubbing her still sleepy eyes. Peering down, Michelle cooed, "oh, good morning, Pichu! Did you sleep well!"

"Pi," Pichu nodded just once before climbing atop Michelle's shoulder and perching herself there.

Simultaneously, Growlithe huffed quietly and opened his eyes, getting up to his paws and shaking out his fur before looking down at Aiden.

"Hey, morning, Growlithe!" Aiden greeted cheerfully. "How are you doing?"

"Growl," Growlithe barked quietly, wagging his tail before jumping off the boulder and approaching Aiden, licking the boy's cheek.

"Wow, Growlithe sure looks a lot better than he did yesterday!" Brandon marveled.

"That's awesome!" Michelle agreed. "Now we can return him back to the wild!"

At this, Growlithe frowned and whimpered. Aiden was the only one who took notice of this, however, and gently patted the fire type on his furry head.

**XXX**

Once the group was all dressed and had packed their things away, they exited Mt. Moon, waving goodbye to the Clefairy who were busy working around the cave before exiting. Aiden and Michelle paid particular attention to the three Cleffa, who were bouncing around everywhere and being chased by the two exasperated Clefairy who had been protecting them from Growlithe just the day before.

"Hey Aiden, they remind you of our family, don't they?" Michelle giggled. "It's like the Clefairy are Mom and Dad, and those three Cleffa are you, me, and Elizabeth!"

"Well, the Cleffa definitely _act _like us, that's for sure," Aiden chuckled.

Growlithe trailed behind, looking fairly miserable as he trudged his way after the three trainers. Before passing the Clefairy, Growlithe howled and caused the normal type Pokémon to turn their attention onto him, blinking their beady black eyes in curiosity. Growlithe barked and whined a few times, causing the Clefairy to smile and jump up and down. This seemed to bring some relief to Growlithe, who finally smiled and managed to catch up with the group fast enough to be walking next to Aiden.

"I wonder what Growlithe said to the Clefairy," Aiden pondered aloud.

"Maybe he was apologizing for scaring them so badly yesterday and trying to kick them out of their own living space," Michelle suggested. "If so, that was certainly the right thing to do."

"Guess you learned a lesson, huh little guy?" Aiden smiled down at Growlithe.

"Growl!" Growlithe replied, wagging his tail once again.

Soon, the group reached Mt. Moon's entrance and stepped outside, taking in the fresh air of the brand new morning.

"Wow, it's so nice outside!" Michelle marveled.

"It's a great day for you to go home, huh?" Aiden knelt down before Growlithe.

Suddenly, the fire type became despondent again, whimpering and lowering his ears before sitting down in front of a very confused Aiden.

"What's up with Growlithe?" Brandon questioned from behind the amateur trainer.

"I…don't know," Aiden blinked.

"Growl…ithe," Growlithe whimpered, nudging Aiden's knee with his head.

"What's up, Growlithe?" Aiden tried.

Growlithe looked over his shoulder and whined before looking back at Aiden and shaking his head.

"I could be wrong, but I think Growlithe is saying he has no place to go," Brandon guessed.

"Is that true?" Aiden inquired.

Growlithe nodded and lowered his head, looking rather ashamed by this fact.

"That must be why he was trying to force the Clefairy out of Mt. Moon," Michelle frowned. "Growlithe had no home, and probably not even any shelter to protect him. Maybe that's why he was so hungry, too. He must not have had any food around either. The poor thing is all alone."

Aiden suddenly felt very bad for the fire type. Reaching out, he started to stroke the Pokémon's fur, smiling as Growlithe barked happily and finally wagged his tail again.

"Hey," Aiden began, his eyes sparkling slightly, "do you want to come with me, Growlithe?"

"Growl?" Growlithe questioned, tilting his head to the right.

"Yeah, you could become part of my team!" Aiden beamed. "It'll be so much fun! I can tell that you're a really strong battler, so you'll make an awesome addition! And you'll never have to be lonely, or hungry, or anything like that ever again! So, what do you say?"

"Growl! Growlithe!" Growlithe jumped up and down, nodding his head frantically.

"I think that Growlithe really likes that idea!" Brandon chuckled.

"Then it's settled," Aiden's eyes glimmered. Reaching for a poke ball, he tossed it at Growlithe and yelled, "poke ball, let's go!"

Growlithe allowed himself to be hit and sucked up by the red and white sphere. It landed back on the ground and shook a few times, Aiden watching on with a determined look on his young face. Eventually, the ball stopped moving and clicked close, much to the delight of the raven haired boy watching over it.

Stepping forward, Aiden picked up the poke ball and held it in the air, yelling, "alright! My first ever capture! I caught a Growlithe!"

"Pi-chu!" Pichu congratulated Aiden on his accomplishment.

"Way to go, Aiden!" Brandon added his own applause.

"Now we both have two Pokémon each!" Michelle smiled.

"Yeah!" Aiden held the poke ball close and grinned down at it. Finally, he had caught his very first Pokémon. His team was starting to take shape, and Aiden was determined to train Squirtle, Growlithe, and every future Pokémon he would eventually catch to the best of their ability.

_Watch out, Dad. I'm coming for you._

* * *

**So, Aiden catches his first Pokemon, Growlithe! A water and a fire type, really not too bad :P Like Michelle said, she and Aiden now have two Pokemon each! What will happen next on their Pokemon adventure? Stay tuned (or, reading...) to find out!**

**And remember to leave a review, because they make me happy, and being happy is fun. It also helps me with my writing :P Thank you, lovely readers! You all rock!**


	7. The Princesses of Cerulean City

**I thought this chapter was REALLY long, but it turns out it's only 12 words longer than the last chapter. Isn't that kinda cool? Well, I think it is.**

**ANYWAYS, I decided to put this chapter up early because I love it :P It's sort of a special chapter. Why? Well...you'll see why :P**

**Last time: Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon wandered into Mt. Moon, where they found a gorup of Cleffa and Clefairy being tormented by a Growlithe. While trying to battle the troublesome fire type, Aiden is interrupted by Team Rocket, who tries to kidnap the Pokemon in the cave! They are stopped in their tracks by the three trainers, however, and sent flying. After treating the injured and malnourished Growlithe, the kids realize that Growlithe has nowhere to go, and was only tormenting the inhabitants of Mt. Moon to try and find shelter. Feeling badly for the Pokemon, Aiden decides to invite Growlithe along with him as his very first capture.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: The Princesses of Cerulean City**

After catching a Growlithe right outside of Mt. Moon on Route 4, Aiden, along with his twin sister Michelle and their best friend Brandon, continue their journey along the same route, eagerly awaiting whatever challenge they will next face.

"So, where's the next gym located?" Aiden looked at Brandon, who was studying his Pokegear.

Smirking, Brandon replied, "according to the map, the next gym is none other than the Cerulean City gym!"

"Ugh," Aiden whined, stopping in his tracks in order to sulk. "This is really no fair. Mom's gonna kill me with this no battling stuff!"

"She didn't say no battle," Michelle sighed. "All Mom said was that she wasn't going to battle you until you had seven other badges."

"Yeah, but when it comes to her only little boy, Mom is _very _easily persuaded," Aiden suddenly stood back up to full height, winking at his sister. "Just what do you think Mom is gonna' do when she finds out that her precious baby boy won his very first gym badge? She's going to be so proud and overjoyed that she'll change her mind right away and battle me for the Cascade badge!"

"I don't think Mom works that way," Michelle folded her arms.

"Pichu pi," Pichu agreed from Michelle's shoulder. The baby Pokémon wasn't overly well acquainted with her trainer's mother, but from what she had managed to observe so far, the pretty red headed gym leader was pretty tough, and didn't seem like much of a pushover.

"Wanna' bet?" Aiden smirked.

"No, because I know that you can't handle loosing," Michelle sighed.

"Oh yeah?" Aiden narrowed his eyes. "Just watch!"

With that, Aiden charged down the path, darting straight towards Cerulean City. Grimacing, Michelle and Brandon followed after the boy, both of them fearing what Misty would do when Aiden tried to defy her…again.

**XXX**

"I challenge you to a gym battle!" Aiden demanded, stepping into the Cerulean City gym.

"How did he get into the gym without your Mom around?" Brandon gaped at Michelle.

"That stupid boy memorized where Mom keeps the emergency key," Michelle sighed. "Which, I guess actually makes him not so stupid. _I _still think he's an idiot, though."

"Come on! I'm totally strong enough to win the Cascade badge!" Aiden carried on.

The sound of oncoming footsteps brought a huge smile to Aiden's face, and a look of concern to Michelle and Brandon's.

"How did you get into the gym?" The fairly angry voice filled the air, surprising not only Michelle and Brandon, but Aiden as well. He knew that his mother had a fairly infamous temper, but she never brought it up with them. In fact, Aiden could not recall a time where his mother sounded so angry with him. _Now_ he was nervous.

Misty came storming into the lobby with an irritated look on her face. When she realized that Aiden was the one who had entered the gym, however, her expression changed to one of bewilderment. "Aiden?"

"Hi, Mom," Aiden grinned at his mother, happy that she wasn't mad at him. She had just thought he was an intruder was all! "I'm here for my gym battle!"

"Aiden, how many times do I have to tell you," Misty sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "there will be no gym battle here until you've battled all of my fellow gym leaders."

"But, Mom, look!" Aiden whipped out his silver badge case with the red poke ball emblem on the front and held it out towards his mother. Flipping open the top, he continued valiantly, "I got my first badge from Forrest! It was an amazing battle, just ask Michelle and Brandon!"

Misty looked behind her son and was surprised to find Brandon standing next to her daughter.

"Oh, Brandon, how terrible of me!" Misty gasped. "I didn't even see you standing there! I'm so sorry."

"It's fine, Mrs. Ketchum," Brandon grinned. "I understand that your son is a handful. You can't watch over too much but him when he's around."

"Brandon!" Aiden snapped.

"That's true," Misty giggled.

"Mom!" Aiden whined. "I'm being serious! Look at my Boulder badge! I _won!_"

"I see that, and I'm very proud of you, sweetheart!" Misty walked forward and hugged Aiden tightly, causing the boy to grumble and try to pull away. "My baby boy got his very first gym badge! Your father is going to be especially proud of you!"

"If you're so proud, then you'll battle me!" Aiden finally tore away from his mother and closed the badge case, sticking it back in his backpack.

"Aiden, I'm not going to battle you," Misty shook her head. "I just can't."

"But the rule of the gym is a two on two battle at _least, _and now I have two Pokémon!" Aiden cried.

"Really?" Misty's face lit up. "You caught your first Pokémon, sweetie?"

"Uh, yeah," Aiden blushed at the term of endearment. "Here, I'll show you!" He plucked the second poke ball off his waist and tossed it in the air, a blue light shooting out to materialize into his newly caught Growlithe.

"Growl!" The puppy Pokémon barked, panting and wagging his tail happily as he looked up at Misty.

"Aww, what an absolute cutie!" Misty squealed, kneeling down to pet the fire type. "Hello there, little guy!"

Growlithe made some happy whimpering noises, reaching up with his tongue to lick Misty's wrist as she gently stroked his bright orange fur.

"See? Two Pokémon; Growlithe and Squirtle," Aiden beamed victoriously. "So battle me!"

"No," Misty answered simply.

"Huh?" Aiden sounded exasperated. "But…why?"

"Because I'm not going back on my rule," Misty stood up, folding her arms over her chest. "Did you really think that I was going to be a pushover, Aiden?"

Aiden chuckled nervously and pushed his fingers together, "uh, well I…"

"Either way, there's no chance I could battle you now," Misty sighed sadly. "The gym isn't open for battles right now."

"Huh?" Aiden was surprised by this piece of information. "Why?"

"Because of your Aunts, that's why," Misty stared through the doorway that led to the battle area with a look of contempt on her face.

"Aunt Daisy, Aunt Violet, and Aunt Lily?" Michelle questioned. "What are they up to?"

"Oh, just the same thing they're always up to every time they take over the gym," Misty breathed out tiredly. "A water ballet."

"You didn't try to stop them?" Aiden asked.

"Of course I did," Misty rubbed her head. "But that never works. All they do is tell me I'm the youngest, so I have to do what they say."

Michelle raised an eyebrow at this. "Even though you're 31-"

"Don't say it!" Misty warned her daughter, who laughed sheepishly and blushed at her mother's unexpected reaction.

At that moment, a small figure came running out from the direction of the battle area, setting her eyes on the group of trainers in front of her and squealing delightfully.

"Aiden! Michelle!" Elizabeth jumped at the raven haired boy first before climbing down off of him and instead tackling Michelle with a big hug.

"Aw, isn't your little sister just the sweetest?" Misty cooed, greatly enjoying the sight of her youngest child so happy to see her older siblings.

After detaching herself from Michelle, Elizabeth looked up at Brandon and raised a curious eyebrow. He chuckled and waved his fingers at her, but Elizabeth didn't have much of a response for the boy. Instead, she looked over her shoulder at Misty and cried, "who's this guy?"

"Okay, fine, she's sweet when she _wants _to be," Misty murmured as her older two children nearly fell over from the youngest's comment. "Lizzie, baby, you know who that is! It's Brandon!"

Elizabeth looked the darker skinned boy over again before shaking her head. "Never seen him before."

"Yes you have, pumpkin!" Misty tried. "His uncle is Brock, remember?"

Elizabeth pursed her lips and shook her head. "Nope."

Chuckling, Brandon knelt down and tried in a sweet voice, "Perhaps you remember me from the time that you couldn't decide which flavor of ice cream to get, so I pulled some strings and got you to try every single flavor they had?"

Suddenly, Elizabeth's eyes widened and a charming smile graced her delicate pink lips. "I know you! You're Brandon!"

"Yes, I am," Brandon smirked. "Nice to see you again, Lizzie!"

"Oh, _now _she remembers," Misty smacked her forehead. "Just like Ash…"

Observing her younger sister, Michelle suddenly realized that the girl wasn't wearing a regular pair of clothes. Rather, she was wearing a pure white, one piece swimsuit with a very full tutu attached to the waist, gold accents adorning the swimwear, and a gold tiara atop her head.

"Elizabeth, why are you dressed like that?" Michelle asked curiously.

"I'm a water princess!" Elizabeth beamed. "Just like you!"

"What?" Michelle raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a water princess."

"Actually…" Misty broke in, suddenly sounding rather timid.

Michelle's eyes shot up, looking wide and utterly shocked. "Mom, what do you mean "actually"? What is Elizabeth talking about?"

Groaning, Misty rolled her shoulders back and motioned towards the tables that sat in the next room over from the lobby. "Let's talk about this, Michelle."

**XXX**

"WHAT?"

"I know it doesn't sound great…" Misty held a hand out in front of her.

"Mom, I don't _want _to be in a water ballet, let alone be the _star _of the whole thing!" Michelle fretted. "Why would you think that?"

"I didn't," Misty quickly shook her head. "It was your Aunts! They are convinced that you, Lizzie, and your cousins should take over running the water ballets. I told them that you would have no interest in it, but they argued that you're the most important part."

"How could I be the most important part?" Michelle huffed.

"Because you're the first born daughter of the gym leader," Misty answered dully.

"So what? That makes me a big deal?"

Misty bit her lip and nodded. "It's always made you a big deal, Michelle."

"Well, no thanks," Michelle folded her arms and shook her head. "I don't want to be some pretty little ballerina, and I don't want to be famous for it either! All I want to do is train my Pokémon and become a top coordinator."

"Why don't you just try it?" Misty suggested.

At this, Michelle made a face of both confusion and slight disgust. "You told Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily that I wouldn't want to be in their show. So why are you trying to convince me to do it?"

"Because I never liked performing in them either," Misty leaned in closer to her eldest daughter. "But it did leave with some pretty good memories. Besides, it means a lot to the citizens of the city. They've always loved my sisters' water ballets, and I know that if they saw you performing in one, everyone would just be so proud and overjoyed. They love you in this city, sweetheart. You, Aiden, and Elizabeth are so beloved by everyone here."

"Isn't that weird?" Michelle scrunched up her nose.

"I thought it was at first," Misty giggled quietly, "but, over time, I realized that it's actually very sweet! They all love me, as their gym leader, so it seems almost natural that they would love you three as well."

Michelle frowned and looked down at her hands, which were settled on her lap. Pichu, who had since jumped from the girl's shoulder onto the table, scurried in front of her trainer and squeaked, "chu!"

"What's that, Pichu?" Michelle queried. "You think I should be in the ballet?"

"Pi! Pi!" Pichu leapt up and down, her ears bobbing as she did so.

"I think that Pichu is saying yes," Misty laughed.

"Mom…" Michelle whined.

"You don't have to worry about a thing, sweetheart," Misty beamed at her daughter. "I'm going to teach you everything you need to know about starring in a water ballet."

"Thanks, I guess," Michelle grumbled, trying to ignore the sympathetic smile her mother was throwing her. "So, when does my training begin?"

Crossing her arms across her chest, Misty closed her eyes thoughtfully and replied, "right now! Into the battle area, love."

**XXX**

Michelle felt unbelievably stupid.

She was sitting on the side of the pool, wearing a light blue bikini top and a pink mermaid tail that shimmered like a rose pearl and was a shade that reminded the young coordinator of cotton candy.

Sitting there miserably, Michelle suddenly heard the clicking of a camera, and immediately felt the need to murder someone. Growling, she looked over her shoulder and found Aiden standing in the bleachers, a black digital camera in hand and a devious little smirk on his face.

"Aiden," Michelle threatened, "mermaid tail or not, I will come up there and beat some sense into you with my fists."

"Go ahead," Aiden snickered, "I dare you, chicken of the sea."

"That's enough out of the both of you!" Misty stepped out of the locker room, her eyes narrowed as she looked in between her two oldest children. "I'm not in the mood for any fighting today. And I don't think you want me bringing your father in here."

"No ma'am," Aiden and Michelle answered simultaneously.

"Good," Misty grinned, pleased that her children actually did listen to her. "Now, Michelle, I'm going to teach you all of the tricks of the trade, like swimming in your tail and using the breathing apparatus."

"I already hate this," Michelle deadpanned.

"Mommy, I want a mermaid tail, too!" Elizabeth cried, running over to her mother and hugging her bare leg.

"You'll have a mermaid tail," Misty smiled at her little daughter. "Daisy said that the costume maker is almost done with it."

"Okay," Elizabeth pulled away, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"I don't know if I want to stick around for this," Aiden commented from the bleachers.

"Good," Michelle snapped, "leave!"

"Michelle," Misty sternly warned her daughter, who refused to apologize for her little snipe. "Aiden, maybe you should go show your father your newest accomplishments. I'm sure he would love to see them!"

"Sounds like a good idea," Aiden nodded. "Elizabeth, you wanna' come with me to see Daddy?"

"No," Elizabeth answered easily. "I'm a ballerina! I need to practice."

"Practice," Misty gently corrected the four year old.

"Alright," Aiden shrugged, descending the steps. "I'll see you guys later!"

"Wish I could leave too," Michelle groaned.

"Oh, relax, dear, it's not so bad," Misty stroked her oldest daughter's hair. "Be glad I'm getting this done while your Aunts are gone. Once they come back, this will become like water ballet boot camp."

"Fantastic," Michelle drawled sarcastically, throwing in an eye roll for good measure.

**XXX**

Aiden, meanwhile, hurried inside of his house, which sat right next door to the brightly colored Cerulean City gym. He scanned his eyes around for his father for a bit, eventually giving up and calling, "Dad! Hey, Dad?" when he couldn't locate the older male.

Sighing, Aiden stepped into the kitchen, where he found Brandon sitting at the table and cradling Pichu like a baby, feeding it some milk out of a bottle.

"What're you up to, Brand-o?" Aiden asked his best friend, sitting down across from him.

"Giving Pichu some Moomoo Milk," Brandon smiled up at his slightly younger companion. "I know she's able to eat solid food, but Pichu is still very young, and Moomoo Milk is full of nutrients that help baby Pokémon to develop fully. I think that feeding this to Pichu as a supplement will greatly benefit her!"

"Well, you should know, you're training to be a Pokémon breeder after all!" Aiden grinned. "I can see why Michelle trusted you with Pichu while Mom's training her to be a mermaid."

"Why, were you shocked that Michelle didn't ask you?" Brandon snorted.

"Uh…no," Aiden admitted, blushing slightly. "But I would never hurt Pichu! Michelle may get on my nerves an awful lot, but I would never even think of hurting her Pokémon."

"I know you wouldn't," Brandon chuckled.

Turning his head from side to side, Aiden prompted, "Have you seen my Dad anywhere?"

"Come to think of it, I haven't," Brandon shook his head. "Your Mom gave me the key to open the house, and I was expecting to see your Dad when I walked in, but I didn't."

"Maybe he went out for a run," Aiden mused.

A loud _boom _from outside stirred both boys, who began to look frantically around the room. Pichu, who had also become distracted from the loud noise, stopped drinking out of the bottle and twitched her big ears.

"Pi! Chu!" Pichu cried, blinking her beady black eyes.

"Where on Earth did _that _come from?" Brandon's eyes widened.

"I think…it came from the backyard," Aiden jumped up. "Let's go check it out!"

Brandon followed after the raven haired boy, holding onto Pichu the entire time. Aiden eventually made his way to the back door, sliding open the glass and staring out into the backyard with wide eyes.

"Pikachu, use electro ball on Leavanny!"

Aiden watched as the familiar yellow mouse jumped into the air, doing two flips in succession while a ball of electricity formed on his lightning bolt shaped tail. With a final cry of, "kachu!" Pikachu fired off the attack, sending it barreling straight towards the grass type.

"Now, Leavanny, dodge it!"

"Leavan!" Leavanny jumped effortlessly out of the way, his antennae waving as he leapt.

"Great work! Now, use razor leaf!"

Leavanny released a flurry of sharp edged leaves, the Pokémon's trainer watching as they flew towards the electric type standing closest to him.

"Pikachu, you know what to do. Dodge it!"

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped right over the attack before landing skillfully on his paws.

"Aiden…" Brandon awed, "your Dad is awesome."

Grinning, Aiden puffed out his chest and replied proudly, "yeah, I know."

The sound of the boys' voices caught Ash's attention and took it away from the battling. Turning his head, Ash caught sight of Aiden and Brandon and smiled boldly at both of them.

"Hey, guys!" Ash greeted warmly, his eyes especially lighting up at the sight of his son.

"Dad, guess what?" Aiden charged right for his father, stopping only about a foot in front of the Pokémon Maser.

"What, son?" Ash chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Reaching into his backpack, which he had brought outside with him, Aiden pulled out his badge case and flipped it open. "Tada!"

"Hey, a Boulder badge!" Ash sounded impressed. "You won that?"

"No, I stole it," Aiden drawled sarcastically. Laughing, he finished, "of course I won it!"

"On your second try," Brandon coughed in the background, causing Ash to laugh and Aiden to go red.

"Brandon!" Aiden groaned.

"Oh, Aiden, it's fine," Ash gripped the boy's shoulder. "I didn't beat Brock on the first try, you know. So I'm not surprised that it took you two attempts to beat Forrest." Looking back up at Brandon, Ash questioned, "you must be proud of your Dad, huh Brandon?"

"He's awesome," Brandon nodded affirmatively. "I wanted to be a gym leader just like him until Uncle Brock introduced me to Pokémon breeding."

"That's not all, Dad!" Aiden was so excited that Ash feared the boy might explode.

"There's more?" Ash chuckled.

"Yep!" Aiden pulled a poke ball off his belt. "Check it out! I caught my very first Pokémon!"

"Wow, you've really made some dent so far, huh champ?" Ash asked. "So, which Pokémon did you catch?"

"I'll show you!" Aiden threw the poke ball, "come meet my Dad, buddy!"

Growlithe materialized in front of Aiden, yawning and shaking out his fur before looking up at Ash and blinking his large, black eyes.

"Oh, wow, a Growlithe!" Ash sounded genuinely impressed. "Where did you find this little guy, Aiden?"

"Inside of Mt. Moon," Aiden beamed. "Can you believe it?"

"I thought the only Pokémon that lived in Mt. Moon were Cleffa, Clefairy, Clefable, and Zubat," Ash scratched his head.

"Usually, yes, but this little Growlithe had no home or friends, so he took up shelter in Mt. Moon," Brandon explained to the Master.

"So now I have a water type and a fire type," Aiden grinned. "I can't wait to do some training with 'em! I haven't gotten to do much since I caught Growlithe."

"Maybe I'll do some training with you, then," Ash smirked.

"Really?" Aiden's eyes were sparkling at the mere thought.

"Sure!" Ash nodded. "I don't see the harm in it. Say, where's Michelle? She came home with you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she's in the gym with Mom," Aiden raised an eyebrow and glanced back up at Ash. "Can I ask you something, Dad?"

"Anything, champ!" Ash winked.

"The reason Mom is in the gym with Michelle is because she's training Michelle to be in some water ballet that Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily are making. She said it's a big deal to Cerulean City for Michelle to be in it. Why's that?"

Ash chuckled huskily before murmuring, "the Princesses of Cerulean City."

"Huh?" Aiden sounded genuinely confused. Brandon, standing behind the young trainer, looked equally bewildered.

"Let me teach you a little something about your mother," Ash smirked. "Something that she will never, ever tell you herself."

Aiden sat down on the grass, sensing that this was going to be a long story. Brandon followed suit, sitting Pichu down in his lap. When Ash sat down as well, however, Pichu jumped out of Brandon's lap and into Ash's, cuddling up against the Pokémon Master.

"Pichu likes you?" Aiden questioned.

"I think maybe she smells Pikachu on me," Ash grinned. Scratching Pichu's head, he cooed to the baby Pokémon, "is that it, huh?"

"Pi, pichu," Pichu squeaked, still snuggling against Ash. Pikachu trotted over to his trainer and crawled next to Pichu, gently chattering to his pre evolved form who just stared up at the bigger mouse in awe.

"Anyway, this all goes back to when your mother was a young girl," Ash began, occasionally petting both Pichu and Pikachu as he told his story. "Every gym leader is given some sort of nickname by the citizens of their town or city. Your mother's grandmother, for example, was known as "The Queen of Cerulean City." Her daughter, _your_ grandmother, was "The Beauty of the Beach." Once your Aunts took over the gym, they were deemed "The Waterflowers of Cerulean City," since they all had flower related names. Once your mother became the gym leader, however, she was given her own nickname, and that was "The Tomboyish Mermaid." Your mother was never exactly fond of the nickname, although I must admit that it suits her rather well."

"Yeah, that's a pretty good nickname!" Aiden chuckled. "But…what does this have to do with Michelle?"

"You see, your mother is the most beloved and respected gym leader this city has had in awhile," Ash continued. "The last gym leader they felt this way about was her grandmother. Everything your mother does is essentially worshiped by the citizens here. I noticed that when we first started dating. Eventually, once she and I had gotten married and you and your sisters had been born, everyone in this city came to love our entire family. They didn't trust me with your mother at first, but that went away soon enough, once they realized how much we loved one another. It was you kids that they really loved. They figured that you three must be the light in your mother's life, so naturally they all adored you as well. In fact, you three are so loved by the citizens of this place that they gave you all nicknames, even though you were just babies at the time and not yet able to even consider becoming gym leaders."

"Really?" Aiden sounded intrigued. "What's my nickname?"

"They liked to call you "The Little Master", since I'm the Pokémon Master and you're my son," Ash chuckled. "I found that to be a rather cute nickname."

Aiden blushed in slight embarrassment, while Brandon guffawed from behind. "Okay," Aiden thought aloud, "so then what do they call Michelle and Elizabeth?"

"They are known as "The Princesses of Cerulean City", which is equally appropriate for the both of them," Ash tapped his cheek. "I call Michelle "princess" myself, and have ever since she was born. I don't call Elizabeth that, but she most certainly is a little princess. These nicknames became so widespread, in fact, that the citizens even began to consider your mother a Cerulean City princess. Her and your sisters are the most adored girls in all of Cerulean City."

"So that's why it would be such a big deal for Michelle to star in a water ballet?" Aiden questioned, the whole thing suddenly making a lot more sense. "Because she's practically royalty around here?"

"You've got it," Ash nodded in conferment. "It's like a coming of age for her."

"Aren't you mad?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. Ash looked confused by the question, so Aiden clarified, "Michelle's not a girly girl. She doesn't even like to be the center of attention. So aren't you mad that Mom is making her do this?"

"Of course not," Ash smirked. "Aside from the fact that I don't think I can get mad at your mother, she isn't forcing Michelle to do this. I know she isn't, because your Mom hated doing this also. I think she managed to convince Michelle that this _is _a big deal, and it's something special. I just see this as further evidence that my little girl is really growing up."

Aiden just stared at his father and breathed slowly. Silently, Aiden realized that his Dad was right-he and his sister really were growing up. But if this was Michelle's significant mark of impending maturity, then what was his?

**XXX**

The most luxurious resort in Cerulean City was the Imperial Shoreline Hotel. It was effaced in marble and gold, and located on the coast so every room featured a beach view. The inside of the resort boasted a five star restaurant, an exquisite ballroom, and a grand spa featuring homemade soaps and treatments inspired by the beach. Many grand events had been held in the resort, including the first birthdays of the gym leader's children.

On this specific afternoon, a group consisting of four people and two Pokémon were gathered in the hotel's tea room, sitting around a small table and holding conversation over their snacks.

"Mom, what are we doing here?"

The younger female at the table, who had her hair tied up in a ponytail while sporting purple tinted sunglasses and a sky blue sundress, posed this question, sounding utterly confused and fairly frustrated.

"I already told you, my love," the older woman, wearing black sunglasses, a white sunhat, and a pink dress with a scarf, replied, "we're working on our newest plan."

"Together?" A young boy sporting a plaid shirt with rolled up sleeves and dress pants seemed bewildered by this sudden revelation.

"This is a very important mission," the older male smirked, himself dressed in a trench coat with a suit underneath and a fedora on his head. "Show them, Meowth."

"I'm on it," Meowth slapped a piece of paper on the table, which the two younger humans leaned in to examine with particular interest.

"A water ballet?" The girl asked dully. "Who cares?"

"Sounds like fun," the boy disagreed, "but how are we supposed to make a mission out of it?"

"Jess, I don't think they understand," the man shifted his eyes onto the woman sitting next to him.

"You're missing the main point of it, children," the magenta haired villainess smiled deviously. "It's a water ballet in a _water type gym."_

"So…that means Pokémon to steal?" the younger boy asked.

"Jason's got it!" The blue haired male practically squealed.

"Shut it, James!" Jessie scolded, throwing her hand over the man's mouth and causing him to shriek and squirm.

"So we're going to infiltrate the Cerulean City gym during this water ballet and steal their water Pokémon to give to the boss?" Jewel tried, lowering her sunglasses so she could get a better look at her parents sitting in front of her.

"That's right, darling!" Jessie giggled behind her hand. "This plan is foolproof!"

Jewel raised an eyebrow, but said nothing in response.

"I agree, Mom!" Jason nodded wholeheartedly. "It sounds great!"

Sneasel, who had been quietly sitting between Jason and Jewel the entire time, finally raised a claw up in the air and asked curiously, "but how are we going to get inside the gym without them noticing us?"

"Leave it tah me-owth!" Meowth grinned. "I gots it all planned out right inside mah head! You don't gots to worry 'bout a ting!"

**XXX**

Michelle couldn't deny the fact that her mother was, in every single way, undeniably and breathtakingly beautiful.

After teaching Michelle certain aspects of the water ballet for awhile, which Misty had already done with such grace and elegance that Michelle started to believe her mother had been replaced by a prima ballerina robot of some sort, Misty put on her own mermaid costume to help Michelle adapt to the tribulations of working in the tail.

And, it was at this point, that Michelle seemed to realize there was no possible way she could do this in the way her mother could.

Misty was wearing her standard pink seashell top and sea green mermaid tail, but hadn't bothered to put in her hair extensions. It wasn't really necessary, since Misty's hair had grown out over the past few years. The naturally straight locks reached just below her shoulder blades, but swayed just as elegantly as the wavy hair extensions that reached her mid back.

Michelle watched in awe as her mother swirled around the water type Pokémon at the bottom of the pool, the gym leader smiling the entire time. Her face was so bright and flawless, and she looked just as Michelle envisioned a real mermaid would. The trepidation must have been obvious on Michelle's face, because it didn't take long for Misty to stop performing and swim worriedly up to her daughter, who had jumped up to sit on the side of the pool.

"Michelle, sweetheart, what's wrong?" Misty brushed back the girl's hair. "You look absolutely terrified."

"I can't do that," Michelle shook her head very slowly, like she was a zombie. "I can't do what you're doing. No way."

"Of course you can," Misty smiled gently at her daughter. "You can do anything if you believe you can, baby."

"I'm nowhere near as good as you," Michelle's eyes widened in disbelief. "Not even if I tried, Mom! You're so beautiful and graceful, and I'm just…not! This is like the most impossible thing anyone's ever asked me to do."

Misty frowned and gave Michelle a hug. She loved holding onto the girl like this; it made Misty feel like her daughter was never going to go anywhere, even though deep down in her heart she knew that wasn't true.

"Michelle, you can't think that I'm perfect," Misty pulled away to look her oldest daughter straight in the eyes. "I am _far _from perfect. No one in the world is perfect. Not me, or my sisters…not even your father. I mean, he's the Pokémon Master, and even if the world doesn't believe it, we're his family and we know that he's _far_ from perfect, right?"

At this, Michelle finally laughed softly and nodded.

"Just be confident, sweetheart," Misty stroked Michelle's cheek with her thumb. "No one is going to be able to judge if you're flawless or not. All they're going to see is a beautiful girl performing just for them and representing her city with great pride, and love her just the same for it. Alright?"

Michelle nodded once again, feeling somewhat surer of herself. Misty leaned forward and kissed Michelle on the forehead before pulling her back into the water.

"Good girl," Misty hugged her again. "Now, let's try it again."

**XXX**

That same night, Misty was busy preparing dinner for her family, as well as Brandon, who she had offered a place to stay, even though he insisted that he would stay at the local Pokémon Center.

"Absolutely not!" Misty was horrified by just the idea. "You're going to stay right here, Brandon. I insist upon it."

"Are you sure?" Brandon frowned. "I don't want to be any extra trouble for you."

"Have you seen who I'm married to?" Misty smirked at the boy. "You're a dream come true compared to the trouble that _he_ causes!"

Brandon chuckled and thanked the gym leader for her kindness before sitting down at the table, in between Aiden and Michelle. He quickly noticed that the girl was looking around the floor in an almost frantic state, which confused him greatly.

"Michelle?" Brandon questioned. "What are you doing?"

Michelle picked her head up and frowned, "I don't know where Pichu is! I thought you were watching her, Brandon."

Smirking, Brandon nodded his head towards the doorframe that led into the kitchen and quipped, "I think that Pichu found someone that she likes a little better than me!"

Michelle looked to where Brandon was motioning and raised an eyebrow at the sight. Her father was walking into the kitchen, Pikachu on his shoulder and Pichu sitting atop his head.

"Dad?" Michelle blinked.

"I'm like a Pokémon whisperer," Ash laughed before lifting the baby Pokémon off of his head and instead holding her in his arms. "Nah, I really just think that Pichu sees me with Pikachu and wants to play with me too."

"Pichu!" Pichu tugged at Ash's shirt with her little paws, staring up at the Pokémon Master with her beady black eyes. "Pichupi, pichu pi pichu!"

"What is it, little girl?" Ash stroked the Pokémon's head. "Are ya' hungry?"

"Pi," Pichu nodded as her stomach grumbled to prove that fact.

Chuckling, Ash walked over to where Pikachu's food bowl sat and placed Pichu down in front of it. Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and sat next to the whining Pichu, promptly patting its pre-evolved form on the head.

"Pika!" Pikachu reassured the little thing. "Kachu, pika."

"Chu…" Pichu sighed.

"It's okay, Pichu," Ash smiled, returning to the two electric types and placing an extra bowl in front of them, this one slightly smaller than Pikachu's. "I've got your food right here!" He held up a canister with a lightning bolt emblem on the front poured food into each bowl before stroking both Pokémon on the head. "Eat up, you two!"

"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu squealed, immediately sticking her face in the bowl and beginning to eat away.

"For such a tiny thing, Pichu can be a real glutton," Michelle sighed.

"It's understandable," Ash stood up and smiled at his oldest daughter. "Pichu is just a baby, so she's still growing all the time and needs all of the nutrients she can get!"

"Is that the food that my Uncle Brock makes?" Brandon asked the Pokémon Master.

"Yep!" Ash nodded in conferment. "Pikachu really loves that special electric type food that Brock makes, so I figured that Pichu would too. Guess I was right!"

"Isn't it amazing that you can inflate your ego over something as simple as Pokémon food?" Misty giggled, placing some of the food she had just prepared on the table.

"Come on, Mist," Ash pouted, "do you have to tease me like that?"

"Of course I do, dear," Misty winked at him before looking around the kitchen. "Hey, where's Elizabeth? Dinner is ready, she should've been in here awhile ago."

"Didn't you put her down for a nap after practicing with Michelle in the pool?" Ash tilted his head.

"Yeah, but she should've definitely woken up by now," a look of concern crossed Misty's face. "You don't think she's sick, do you?"

"Nah, you worry too much," Ash smirked. "I bet she woke up and started playing, and is completely ignorant of whatever's going on down here! I'll go get her."

Once Ash was gone, Misty simply sighed and began to fill everyone's plates with food. It didn't take long for Ash to return with Elizabeth bounding in front of him, her emerald green eyes glimmering with excitement.

"Well, it looks like someone's gotten all of their energy back!" Misty beamed down at her daughter. "Didn't I say that nap was a good idea?"

"No," Elizabeth refuted, climbing up onto her chair and grinning playfully at her mother. "I'm hungry!"

"It's a good thing I made dinner, then," Misty trilled, giving Elizabeth some food on her plate. "I made noodles!"

Smirking, Ash sat down next to his youngest child and asked sweetly, "Aren't those your favorite, little Lizzie?"

"Yeah!" Elizabeth nodded her head rapidly. "My favorite is noodles! And pizza, and sandwiches, and soup, and cheesy sticks, and burgers!"

"So…everything?" Misty sweat dropped.

"No," Elizabeth refuted. "I don't like casserole."

"Hey, that's a big word for you, pumpkin!" Ash ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Nuh uh!" Elizabeth whined. "I'm not a baby, Daddy! I can talk!"

"And _there's_ the mini Misty we know and love…" Ash chuckled nervously.

"So, Brandon, you've decided to travel with Aiden and Michelle?" Misty, who had taken a seat next to Ash and was now daintily eating through her noodles, asked the darker skinned boy sitting across from her.

"Yeah, I've been waiting for awhile to go out on my own and discover more about Pokémon to help me in my quest towards becoming a breeder," Brandon nodded. "But I didn't really want to go alone, and meeting up with Aiden and Michelle was like the perfect twist of fate for me! It just gives me some company."

"Travelling with friends is always better than travelling alone," Ash agreed before stuffing his mouth heartily, quite a contrast to his well mannered wife who was sitting right next to him.

"And I'm certainly glad that Aiden and Michelle have you with them," Misty smiled. "You've always been so responsible and mature for your age. I'm certain that my children are much safer with you in tow."

"Gee, thanks Mom," Aiden laughed sheepishly.

"Michelle, I heard you're finally going to star in a water ballet," Ash turned his attention onto the ten year old red head, who looked flustered by the topic. "That's great! You must be so excited to follow in your Mom's footsteps."

"Uh, yeah, sure…" Michelle rubbed the back of her neck; a habit she had picked up from none other than her father.

"Well, I'm excited to watch you!" Ash beamed. "You're going to look so beautiful, princess! You always do, but I can't wait for everyone else to realize what I get to see all the time."

"Dad, stop!" Michelle covered her face with her hands and turned it away for good measure.

"Ash, you're embarrassing her," Misty frowned as she whispered to her husband.

"What, I'm not allowed to tell her how beautiful she is?" Ash seemed genuinely disappointed by this.

"Of course you can," Misty sighed, "but do you have to do it in front of _everyone? _Especially on a subject that she's not completely happy about."

"I'm just trying to make her feel better," Ash shrugged. "I know she's not thrilled with being in the show, so I thought complimenting her and telling her how much I love her would make her feel better. But I guess not."

"Try again later," Misty smirked. "Your heart's in the right place, you just need to approach it a _little _bit differently."

Ash nodded, deciding that his wife was right.

As usual.

**XXX**

After helping her mother clean up the table and putting Pichu to sleep for the night, Michelle was busy thinking about what her father had said to her during dinner. Was she actually that beautiful? Did even he believe that this seemingly stupid show was actually a huge deal?

Trudging up the stairs, Michelle walked towards her parents' room, expecting to find her father in there. When she looked in, however, she quickly noticed that the lights were off and no one was inside. As she closed the door, the sound of her father's voice reached her ears, catching the aspiring coordinator off guard.

Silently, she followed the sound until it got closer and clearer, and didn't sound so much like a gentle whisper. Realizing it was coming from behind the door of Elizabeth's bedroom, Michelle quietly opened the door and peeked in, finding both her father and younger sister in her bed: Elizabeth laying down and looking rather sleepy, while Ash was settled next to her holding a book and wrapping one arm around her small body.

"The little Mudkip was so happy that all of his friends were safe. And all of the other Mudkip were happy that their friend managed to save them in time. From then on, all of the Mudkip lived safely and happily in the marsh, looking out for one another and being the best of friends."

Elizabeth yawned and turned her eyes up towards her father. "Another one, Daddy."

"No, no more," Ash smiled. "It's time for you to go to sleep!"

"I'm not tired," Elizabeth grumbled, although her eyes were beginning to close.

"I think you are, little pumpkin," Ash closed the storybook and put it off to the side, pulling Elizabeth's covers over her shoulders. "Go to sleep, baby girl."

"Daddy…" Elizabeth murmured airily, reaching up for her father. Smiling, Ash leaned down and allowed Elizabeth to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing her on the cheek before rubbing their noses together in a loving fashion. Elizabeth's arms slipped off of Ash's neck and landed back at her sides. With the little girl fast asleep, Ash chuckled softly and sat up, climbing off the bed as gingerly as possible in the hopes of not disrupting his youngest child's slumber.

Once he was off the bed, Ash looked up and realized that Michelle was standing in the doorway, watching him with a sense of awe.

"Michelle?" Ash questioned softly. "What are you doing here?"

"I…just wanted to talk to you," Michelle looked down bashfully.

"Sure thing," Ash smiled.

Michelle stepped away from the door, standing idly in the hallway as she nervously rubbed at her upper arms. Ash closed the door to Elizabeth's bedroom before ushering Michelle into his and Misty's room, the young coordinator following after her father while staring at the floor the entire time.

Sitting down on the end of the bed, Ash beamed up at his older daughter and asked, "What is it that you want to talk about, Shelly?"

Michelle looked up reluctantly and murmured, "I don't think I'm good enough to do this stupid water ballet. I don't want to let anyone down, Dad. And I'm not good enough."

At this, Ash frowned and held his arms out towards the girl. "Of course you're good enough, Michelle! Come here, princess." Groaning, Michelle walked closer to her father and let out a small shriek of surprise when he pulled her down onto his lap. Hugging her close, Ash lightly kissed the girl's shoulder before continuing, "You're perfectly good enough. No one is going to be disappointed."

Looking up at Ash, Michelle grimaced and inquired, "Is this really a big deal, Dad? You're not exactly from around here, so I figure you'll give me a more honest answer than Mom."

Sighing, Ash nodded and confirmed, "It _really _is important to the people of Cerulean City. This is part of their traditions."

Biting her lip, Michelle continued, "and you really think I'm beautiful? I mean…really?"

"Of course I do," Ash pulled away in surprise. "I always knew you would be a little heartbreaker. You look just like your mother, there was no way you couldn't be beautiful!"

Michelle blushed fiercely at this, but didn't cry out in embarrassment the way she had when her father had showered compliments upon her in front of everyone at the dinner table. This didn't go unnoticed by Ash, who smiled sweetly at the thought.

_That Misty, _he thought brightly, _always right!_

"Aunt Daisy, Violet, and Lily are coming over tomorrow to see how well Mom has taught me," Michelle piped up, her voice laced with worry. "I'm worried, Dad."

Smirking, Ash shook his head and replied, "There's no reason to be worried when your Aunts are around, princess. They can be dumb as doorknobs when they want to be."

Michelle scrunched her nose up. "I don't think Mom would like to hear you talking about her sisters that way."

"Oh, she's said much, _much _worse things about them," Ash assured his daughter. "Besides, they love you too! No worries."

"But if they take this so seriously…" Michelle trailed off and bit her lip.

Ash thought silently to himself for a few moments. Eventually coming to a plan, he smirked and announced, "Don't worry, Michelle! I've got a plan!"

"You do?" Michelle raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I can't tell you," Ash folded his arms and kept the winsome smile on his face. "But you'll find out soon enough. Just wait, sweetheart! It'll be worth your patience."

"Patience?" Michelle muttered under her breath. "I might not live past tomorrow afternoon!"

* * *

**Yeah, Ash and Misty are going to be more involved in their children's journey than Ash's mother or any of the other parents. Because I think they should, that's why :P**

**So, this chapter is going to continue into the next one. How will Michelle's ballerina debut go? And her interaction with her Aunts? You'll find out!**

**It would mean ALOT ALOT ALOT if you guys left me a review :3 They make me happy! And it also helps me to learn what you guys liked or didn't like about the chapter. So, be awesome and leave a review! **

**Until next time!**


	8. The Water Ballet! Team Rocket's Scheme!

**Hey, guys! I'm back with a new chapter! This one reveals a bit about what Team Rocket is up to...an important plot point!**

**Last time: Upon returning to Cerulean City, Aiden challenges his mother to a battle for the Cascade Badge, which she promptly turns down. Misty informs the three that the gym is being occupied by her sisters, who are planning to put on a new water ballet starring none other than Michelle. There's only one problem: Michelle _hates _to perform! While Misty busies herself with teaching her oldest daughter the ins and outs of being a water ballerina, Team Rocket comes up with a scheme that involves the gym's new ballet...**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: The Water Ballet! Team Rocket's Scheme!**

"No, no! All wrong!"

"She isn't even looking at the audience when she does that spin!"

"And she looks completely uncomfortable half of the time."

Michelle groaned and leaned back in the water, allowing herself to be swallowed by the liquid as she immersed herself underneath the surface of the gym pool. Misty watched her daughter sink underneath the water and frowned, feeling rather guilty for getting the girl into this situation.

"Misty, haven't you taught her anything?"

Growling, Misty looked over her shoulder and bit, "Lily, lay off! She doesn't even _want _to do this!"

Misty's pink haired older sister leaned back, but not in surprise. Over the past 30 years, she had grown quite used to her younger sister's outbursts and generally unpredictable moods. "I'm not blaming Michelle, Misty. I'm blaming _you._"

"Oh yeah, because that's _so_ much better," Misty drawled sarcastically.

"Lily, setting Misty off isn't going to change the fact that this is going to be the worst water ballet in Cerulean history," Violet sighed sadly, folding her arms across her chest.

At this point, Michelle had come up from underneath the water and was now feeling even worse than before. She really didn't want to be doing this stupid show, but she didn't want to let down her home city either. And according to her aunts, she was going to do just that.

Daisy seemed to notice the torturous look on her niece's face and, being the most loving and protective of the aunts, decided to step in and give the girl some relief.

"Violet, Lily, stop that, right now," Daisy scolded gently. "Chiding Misty for not being able to teach Michelle is just pointless. Can't you see that Michelle is frustrated? Besides, water ballet isn't an easy thing to master. She's only been learning it for a day."

"We're not chiding her," Violet scrunched her nose up, a habit that all four sisters possessed.

"Yeah, we weren't telling Misty to be quiet at all!" Lily agreed.

At this, Misty smacked her forehead and groaned. Fortunately, her sisters had gotten considerably brighter over the years, but on the negative side, Daisy was the only one who seemed to have completely broken out of her teenage "ditz" phase. The other two still struggled on occasion, and now was certainly one of those times.

"That's not what chiding means, girls," Daisy sighed.

Misty encircled Michelle in her arms and held the girl close, resting her chin atop her head. "It's alright," Misty softly assured her daughter, "you're going to be just fine."

"Misty?" Daisy called, causing the gym leader to turn her eyes up to her oldest sister. "Perhaps Dakota could teach Michelle a few things about performing. She has a fondness for it, after all. I'm sure she wouldn't mind in the least!"

"I guess she could," Misty nodded, letting go of Michelle but keeping a hand on her. "I'm sure by now she's tired of running after Elizabeth, anyway."

**XXX**

Dakota LeighAnne Sketchit was, by all accounts, just like her mother.

She had perfectly defined and beautiful features, was blonde haired, sea green eyed, and light skinned, with a penchant for shopping and all things girly. There was nothing Dakota loved more than dressing up and trying out new makeup techniques. Despite this, small but noticeable bits of her father had seeped through as well.

Dakota loved art, especially drawing. She was generally a very gentle person, who didn't mind doing favors for others every once in awhile. As a result, she tended to be much more patient than her mother and willing to stick it out when it came to certain situations.

Today, that would involve training Michelle to be a prima water ballerina.

"Okay, Michelle," Dakota calmly instructed her younger cousin, who looked less than thrilled to be underneath the older girl's instruction. "I'm going to teach you one of the most important aspects of performing in the water ballet: eye contact with the audience."

"How am I supposed to do that while I'm dancing?" Michelle grumbled.

"Once you get used to it, it's not so hard," Dakota smiled innocently at the red head. "Here, I'll show you!"

The blonde dove underneath the water, creating a large splash which drenched Michelle in the process. The young coordinator growled and clenched her fists, but chose to say nothing in response, rather following her cousin's lead and sinking underneath the liquid much more calmly than her predecessor.

Watching the two girls were their other cousins: Vanessa and Lola, both of whom were simultaneously babysitting Elizabeth. Or, at least, they were _supposed _to be watching the young girl.

Elizabeth stood before the two older girls, dressed in her green one piece swim suit printed with limes and a ruffle on the back, with her arms crossed and a pout on her pretty little face. Vanessa and Lola were too busy observing Dakota and Michelle and yapping away to each other about boys and makeup to pay any attention to her.

"Hey!" Elizabeth finally snapped, grabbing onto Vanessa's leg.

The blue haired girl looked down in curiosity, wondering why in the world this little 4 year old was going crazy on her.

"Elizabeth, like…what's _up _with you?" Vanessa sighed, the 13 year old sounding pretty bored with the whole situation.

"You're boring," Elizabeth sniped.

Vanessa gasped, clearly offended by the younger girl's comment. She held a hand over her heart, pressing it against her purple lace tank top and planting her feet into the floor, making her long and slender legs appear even more so.

"Lizzie's got a point," Lola snickered, folding her arms over her chest to cover her ocean blue crop top with three bow cut outs on the back. She too had long, willowy legs, accentuated by her short white shorts.

"Oh, be quiet!" Vanessa whined. "I don't think you're so interesting either, Lola Avonlea!"

At this, Lola scrunched her nose up and shook her head, causing her short pink hair to fly out around her. "Blegh. Don't use my middle name."

"Well, Elizabeth, if you think I'm so boring, then what do you want me to do?" Vanessa raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing," Elizabeth shrugged. "I wanna' play with the Pokémon. You got none."

Vanessa flattened her brow out, and Lola began to laugh once again.

"Lizzie is funny," Lola snickered, her cobalt blue eyes sparkling as she laughed. The 12 year old was more relaxed than her two older cousins, and more willing to joke around. _Especially _when it came to those two. "Here, Elizabeth, you can play with Louis!"

Lola plucked a poke ball out of the small orange purse strapped across her chest and opened it up, releasing a bouncy little Eeevee.

"He's so cute!" Elizabeth squealed, jumping down to pet the happy normal type.

"Hey, Dakota!" Lola called as the blonde popped back up from underneath the water. "Do you mind if I take Queenie out of her poke ball? Elizabeth wants to play with our Pokémon."

"Sure," Dakota shrugged, pulling her dark golden hair behind her as she blinked the water out of her eyes. Michelle appeared next to the older girl, still looking miserable over her situation. Turning to Michelle, Dakota instructed, "Come on, Michelle. No time for a break! The show opens in two days!"

"I hate everything," Michelle grumbled, returning back underneath the water.

As the two girls returned to their work, Lola removed Dakota's sole poke ball from her brown leather bag and tossed it, sending out a bright blue light which materialized into a smirking Purrloin.

"Purr," she droned, stretching her body out and striding over towards Louis and Elizabeth.

Dakota and Lola did not use their Pokémon to battle, but rather kept them as pets. As a result, the two were very domesticated and used to being pampered and played with. Elizabeth picked up on this quickly and had an easy time playing with the two.

After awhile, she began to chase Queenie and Louis around the pool, the two Pokémon mewling happily while Elizabeth shrieked and squealed in utter delight. Halfway around the pool, however, Elizabeth slipped on a puddle and, with a cry, went flying towards the middle of the pool.

"Elizabeth!" Vanessa and Lola gasped.

Just as Elizabeth was about to hit the water, Michelle popped up, a huge smile on her face. "I finally did it! I l spun _and_ looked at the audience! Isn't that great Da-"

Before Michelle could finish her triumphant celebration, Elizabeth landed on her, sending the older girl back underneath the water.

At that same moment, Dakota came afloat, her face glowing. "Michelle, that was awesome! I knew you'd catch on eventually!" Turning her head from side to side, Dakota quickly became confused and asked her two younger cousins, "Hey, where did Michelle go?"

Michelle remerged, panting as she held Elizabeth in her arms. The younger girl looked only somewhat startled, with her dark red hair plastered to her face and her arms wrapped around Michelle's neck.

"Well, at least Lizzie was wearing a bathing suit…" Vanessa rubbed the side of her head.

"Anything that can go wrong…is going wrong," Dakota groaned, burying her face in her hands.

**XXX**

Two days later, it was time for the brand new Cerulean City water ballet staring the one and only Michelle Ketchum.

To say the girl was less than thrilled was an understatement.

She had tried her hardest to sleep in. Even when her father came barging into her room and tried to playfully pry her out of bed. Normally, Michelle would've found it funny and laughed along with him, but she really wasn't in the mood to be tugged like that. Eventually, when Ash pulled at her again, Michelle went to kick him, and actually ended up connecting with his cheek.

"Ow!" Ash wailed, dropping Michelle back on her bed.

That finally got a laugh out of the young girl, who pushed herself up on her hands and grinned mischievously at her father. "_That _will teach you to get on my nerves."

"Just like your mother…" Ash muttered.

"Well then maybe you shouldn't just come in here and decide to wake me up," Michelle grew stern and pulled the covers back over her head, although she remained sitting up. "I want to go back to sleep."

"You can't, sweetheart," Ash smirked. "It's time to start getting ready for the water ballet."

"The water ballet is _dumb,_" Michelle commented from underneath the blanket.

"But important," Ash yanked the covers off of his daughter. "Come on, princess."

Michelle narrowed her eyes. "Don't call me that."

"You love it when I call you princess," Ash chuckled. "That's your nickname!"

"I don't want you to call me that anymore," Michelle complained.

"Oh, you're only whining because you have to be in the water ballet. I know that isn't true."

"It is."

"Mmmhm."

"Believe me!" Michelle moaned.

"Not a chance!" Ash laughed, picking Michelle up with ease and carrying her out of her room.

"Put me down!" Michelle cried laughingly, reaching up to tug at her father's locks as he brought her down the stairs.

"Nope, not gonna' happen!" Ash shook his head. He brought her all the way into the kitchen, where unfortunately for the 10 year old girl, her entire family plus Brandon was gathered for breakfast and was now staring at her and her father like they were a couple of lunatics.

"Ash, put her down before you drop her!" Misty scolded.

"Ah, Mist, she's not a little baby!" Ash laughed, continuing to hold the girl in a bridal style. "She's got enough strength to hold herself up."

"Ash…" Misty warned darkly, "put her _down._"

"Yes, ma'am," Ash showed off a foolish grin, which caused Michelle to giggle and Misty to growl audibly at the Pokémon Master. Once back on her feet, Michelle waltzed over to the table and sat down next to her brother, who, just like her, was still dressed in his pajamas. He was eyeing the girl as if she was crazy, while Elizabeth was sitting up on her knees and facing the back of the chair.

"Daddy, pick me up like that!" Elizabeth demanded.

"No, there will be no more of that," Misty stepped in, her eyes still narrowed at Ash.

"But I wanna' be carried like that!" Elizabeth whined, her eyes darkening as she complained.

"Hush, baby girl," Ash stepped forward and brushed through the girl's hair. Leaning down, he whispered in her ear, "I'll carry you around later, when Mommy's not looking."

Elizabeth giggled and nodded her head wildly.

"Ash, what are you telling her?" Misty looked warily over her shoulder.

"Nothing, darling," Ash drawled in a sickeningly sweet voice, kissing Elizabeth on the cheek before getting to his full height and sitting down next to the girl with a sneaky look set on his handsome face. Continuing to grin, he prompted, "So, Michelle, I don't think you ever told me what this show is about."

"I barely know," Michelle scoffed.

"Yes you do, sweetheart," Misty smirked.

Michelle made a noise of disagreement and shook her head.

"But…Dakota was supposed to tell you," Misty reasoned.

"Oh, she did," Michelle nodded. "I just didn't listen."

"Mi…Michelle!" Misty gasped.

Michelle laughed nervously before sheepishly requesting, "Refresh my memory?"

Sighing, Misty took a seat next to Ash and began to tell the storyline of the latest water ballet: "the show is about a beautiful princess mermaid who lives happily with all of the water Pokémon in her underwater kingdom. Unfortunately for the princess, a group of villainous pirates have found the kingdom and plan on robbing it for all of its riches. While the kingdom is being attacked, the Princess gets caught in the fray and is captured by the devious pirates. They want to keep her hostage, but fortunately for the Princess, there is a kind pirate on board, who is the son of the ship's captain. He sees the Princess and falls in love at first sight with her, and then makes it his mission to rescue her and return her to the water kingdom."

"Yay!" Elizabeth clapped her hands together. "I like that story, Mommy!"

"Isn't it nice?" Misty giggled. "Your Aunt Violet did a very good job writing it!"

"Yeah, it sounds really cute…" Ash sounded cagey, "but, uh…I have to ask…who's playing this love interest to my daughter?"

"Dad!" Michelle's face lit up in a bright shade of red.

At this, Aiden and Brandon both began to chuckle, poorly attempting to hide this behind their hands. Michelle glowered at both boys, making a scarily angry face quite similar to her mother's.

"Oh, Ash, relax," Misty sighed. "Lola is playing the pirate boy."

"Oh, okay," Ash visibly relaxed and smiled at Michelle. "Never mind, then."

"I hate today," Michelle grumbled, burying her face in her hands.

**XXX**

Later that afternoon, Michelle was back in her sky blue bikini top, the ribbon in the center tied doubly tight, and the pearly pink mermaid tail that Michelle still hated with a rather strong passion. She didn't wear hair extensions in the way her mother had, but rather had her natural hair meticulously curled by her Aunt Daisy, leaving the typically past the shoulder red locks to bounce just above her shoulders in a sea of tight curls. A circlet of ribbons had been wrapped around Michelle's head, tied into a perfect bow on the side with her seashell hairclip pinned neatly in the middle.

"There, you look perfect!" Daisy chirped, standing back to admire her work.

"I don't _feel _perfect," Michelle rolled her eyes up in an attempt to study her curly locks.

"Oh, you'll be fine, Michelle," Daisy assured her young niece. "I promise!"

The coordinator grimaced, but said nothing in response. She wanted to believe her aunt, but Michelle really had no confidence in this going well at all.

"Oooh, Mom, you did such a good job with Michelle! She really looks like a mermaid princess!"

Michelle growled and gave her oldest cousin a fierce look. Dakota was dressed in her pirate costume: a white ruffled shirt with a black dress over it and a pink sash tied around her waist to match the one wrapped over her head.

"Thank you, Dakota!" Daisy giggled gratefully. "But, dear, it's almost show time. You should get yourself into place and start stretching."

"Of course!" Dakota agreed airily, running off to a secluded corner and stretching herself out. Michelle watched in slight jealousy as Dakota went down into splits, up into arabesques, and went flying in the air with various leaps and spins. She had long, gorgeous legs, just like Michelle. It seemed to be a trait of every female on that side of the family. Michelle viewed Dakota's movements as beautiful and graceful, because her legs were on display. Michelle could at least _fake _having some polish if she was able to use her legs. Unfortunately, they were confined inside the tail, and all that would do was make Michelle out to be some kind of awkward human fish. She couldn't even attempt to make it look elegant in the way her mother could.

"Don't be worried, Michelle," Daisy took the girl's hands into her own. "You'll do just fine."

Michelle looked away and blushed, muttering, "I hope so…"

Up in the stands, Ash and Misty sat together, with Aiden and Brandon on either of their sides. Originally, Elizabeth had been sitting between Misty and Brandon, but she quickly realized she'd much rather be sitting on her mother's lap. So now, she was perched on Misty's legs, holding Michelle's Pichu in her own lap and stroking the baby Pokémon's head.

"Mist, are you sure this was such a good idea?" Ash finally asked his wife, russet eyes flickering with concern.

"Absolutely not," Misty answered in a very confident manner, which surprised Ash to some extent. "I feel terrible for making her do this. I know it's important to the people of Cerulean City, but performing isn't something that Michelle likes to do. I've always known it, ever since she was a little girl."

"I like to, Mommy!" Elizabeth looked up at her mother.

"Yes, I know you do, sweetheart," Misty giggled softly as she placed her hand atop the girl's head. "And you can once you get older. But you and Michelle are different, baby girl. She doesn't think it's fun like you do."

"Pichu, pipipi," Pichu squeaked from Elizabeth's arms.

"Pika!" Pikachu commented, hopping off of Ash's shoulder to settle himself in his trainer's lap and tend to the smaller mouse.

"Pikachu really seems to have gotten quite attached to Pichu," Misty noted.

"Something tells me that Pikachu thinks Pichu is his baby," Ash chuckled. "He's certainly treating Pichu like she is!"

Misty looked back down, noticing that Pikachu was now bobbing his tail up and down in front of Pichu, who was watching the yellow lightning bolt bounce up and down with transfixed eyes.

At that moment, the lights in the gym went down, causing the crowd to go quiet. Ash and Misty both exchanged one last look of anxious concern before turning their attention back to the raised pool in the center of the battle area.

**XXX**

"Alright, Michelle," Dakota smiled at her cousin, "show time!"

"Please stop reminding me," Michelle moaned.

Lola walked up next to Michelle, pinning her pink hair behind her head before tying a scarf over the mess of locks. "You'll be fine, Shelly. Don't let Dakota get on your nerves."

"What?" Dakota grew wide eyed. "I'm not getting on her nerves!"

"I'm just kidding, Koty!" Lola squealed, wrapping her arms around the older blonde and hugging her as tightly as possible.

"You're so odd," Dakota sighed, shrugging the younger girl off.

"Michelle, get out on the diving board!" Vanessa suddenly appeared, looking and sounding rather frantic. "I'm about to start my narration!"

Groaning, Michelle hopped her way over to the diving board, obviously not being able to walk in her pretty pink mermaid tail. Standing right before the long, white board, Michelle sighed and slumped her shoulders, muttering, "Oh well. Here goes nothing."

**XXX**

With everyone settled inside the battle area, a foursome along with two Pokémon was able to easily sneak through the front door without being stopped or even recognized. They had read about the plot of the ballet, and were all dressed to fit into the scene perfectly: as pirates.

"Are you _sure _this will work?" Jewel whined. Her blue hair was tied up into a very high ponytail with a silky red scarf wrapped around to hold it in place, while her typical Team Rocket uniform had been replaced by a red dress with a black vest over it.

"I trust Mom and Dad!" Jason puffed his chest out, smirking at the girl. His green hair was gelled back with a pirate hat on top of his head, uniform switched out in favor of a white shirt with torn sleeves and black pants that were equally torn at the bottom of the legs.

"Atta boy!" James patted his son on the shoulder. He was wearing an outfit very similar to Jason's.

"Oh, that's enough out of you!" Jessie smacked James in the back of the head. She had the most elaborate costume out of any of the four: a fine scarlet vest over a pure white shirt, black skinny leg pants, black leather boots, and a long, red velvet coat dotted with gold buttons and blue and red rope edging the sleeves and front coat opening. "We need to make our move now, or we'll never catch those water Pokémon!"

"Jessie's right!" Meowth agreed. He and Sneasel, on the other hand, had the most simple disguises in the group, consisting of nothing but an eye patch. "Oderwise da twerps'll catch us!"

"But we gotta' be quiet!" Sneasel added.

The four humans nodded, tip toeing towards the stair case that would lead upstairs into the backstage of the battle area.

**XXX**

"The beautiful mermaid spent all of her days playing with the Pokémon who resided in her beautiful underwater kingdom."

Michelle spun around Dewgong and was then encircled by the small family of Luvdisc, smiling the entire time. She floated above all of the Pokémon and spun around, keeping her eyes locked on the audience the whole time. Judging by their expressions, everyone was enamored by the girl and her performance so far. Michelle kept her happy façade, but inside, she was feeling far more relieved than cheerful.

_At least I haven't messed up yet! Everyone seems to be enjoying it so far!_

"At night, the Princess would always fall fast asleep, tired from her adventures with all of her Pokémon friends."

Michelle yawned, to "add to the effect" as Dakota had advised her, and swam effortlessly towards a big, pink seashell, curling up in a ball and closing her eyes. The top of the shell fell down, and once it did, Michelle made use of the red breathing apparatus to catch her breath, sighing once it was on.

"Much better…" Michelle murmured to herself.

As she relaxed in the seashell, knowing she had a while until her next cue from Vanessa, a loud explosion caught the girl's attention, causing her eyes to open more widely.

"Wh…what?" Michelle questioned, moving closer to the opposite end of the shell and slightly prying it open in order to peer out into the water. Looking up, she caught sight of four different figures standing on the diving board, all of them dressed as pirates.

A murmur went up in the crowd, and Ash and Misty once again looked at each other.

"Four pirates?" Ash asked his wife. "I thought there were only three…and none of those guys look like Dakota, Vanessa, or Lola."

"Something's not right…" Misty shook her head, "I can feel it."

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" The woman in the red coat announced. "I certainly hope you're all enjoying the show."

"Now make sure you hold onto your seats," the older man smirked, "because we're about to blow you all away!"

Meowth whipped out a small remote and pressed the red button on it, causing a strong wind to blow out of all the vents in the room. This simulated a violent wind storm, affecting both everyone in the audience and the pool in the middle of the room.

"Mommy!" Elizabeth cried out fearfully, closing her eyes tight so the hair whipping in her face wouldn't poke them.

"It's okay, baby!" Misty turned the young girl around and hugged her close, keeping the child's face against her chest and brushing all of her hair back to keep it away from her eyes.

"What's going on?" Ash barked, jumping to his feet.

"Yeah, who are those guys?" Brandon got to his feet as well, Aiden following with nothing but an almost feral growl.

"I think it's about time that our children properly introduce themselves," Jessie purred, "wouldn't you agree, James?"

"I certainly do, Jessie," James chuckled.

"Alright, you two," Jessie looked between the two children, "recite the motto that you've been practicing!"

Jewel and Jason both nodded proudly, tearing off their pirate costumes to reveal white Team Rocket uniforms that were completely identical to their parents'. Looking out at all of the people in the audience, the younger trio snickered and stood in powerful stances.

"Listen up, and prepare for us!" Jewel smirked.

"Give up now, or we'll make a fuss!" Jason adopted a rather evil look.

"We're here to start trouble!" Jewel placed her hands on her hips.

"And surely burst your bubble!" Jason folded his arms across his chest.

"Truth and love, we will defy!" Jewel threw her hands out emphatically to the sides.

"Like shooting stars, we're sure to fly!" Jason's arms went down, his hands balling into tight fists.

"Jewel!"

"Jason!"

"Team Rocket, here to succeed!" Jewel declared.

"Our great history you soon will read!" Jason added.

"Sneasel, agreed!" The devious Pokémon grinned sneakily.

"Team Rocket?" Ash and Misty cried in absolute confusion.

"Oh no, not those losers again!" Aiden complained.

"Aiden, you know those three?" Ash looked at his son.

"Yeah, we've run into 'em twice already!" Aiden confirmed. "All they try to do is cause trouble and steal Pokémon!"

"Sounds like Team Rocket alright," Ash grumbled.

"How was that, Mom?" Jewel turned to look at her mother, eyes sparkling with hope.

"Oh, just beautiful!" Jessie squealed, wiping joyful tears away from her eyes. "We've taught you two so well!"

"It was truly amazing!" James agreed, himself crying happy tears. "How proud I am of both of you!"

"Perfect!" Jason narrowed his eyes in determination. "Now, let's finish the job and steal those water Pokémon!" Whipping out a poke ball, he called, "Zubat, supersonic!"

A blue bat Pokémon was released and let out a terrifying screech, blue rings emitting from its mouth and causing all of the Pokémon in the water to become unable to attack or even move.

"Oh no, they're confused!" Michelle gasped.

"Jason, dear, I didn't know you caught a Zubat!" Jessie giggled.

"Yeah, in Mt. Moon!" Jason nodded. "I felt so bad for Nidoran after those brats attacked him…so I knew he needed some back up on the team!"

"And now that the Pokémon are all confused…" James hummed to himself as he threw a giant fishing net into the pool, scooping up all of the water Pokémon and dragging them up to the surface.

"Hey, I don't think so!" Misty snarled, jumping to her feet. Elizabeth whimpered against her chest, causing Misty to sigh sadly and hold the girl more tightly. She couldn't do anything rash, not while she was holding onto Elizabeth.

"I'm not letting them get away with this!" Ash turned towards Misty, who looked utterly panicked. "Don't you worry, Mist!"

He darted past the gym leader, knowing just as well as she did that it was impossible for her to act while Elizabeth was under her care. Running down the aisle towards the pool, Ash was surprised, and a little aggravated, when he heard the sound of footsteps behind him.

"Aiden!" Ash barked without turning around.

"I want to help!" Aiden cried.

"It's too dangerous," Ash refuted.

"Come on, I'm not a baby!" Aiden groaned. "I have my own Pokémon now! I'm a trainer!"

"You've been a trainer for barely two weeks!" Ash retorted.

"Better than having no experience at all," Aiden sniped before pulling one of his poke balls of his belt, "Growlithe, use ember on Zubat!"

"Growl!" The puppy Pokémon appeared before Ash, causing the Pokémon Master to skid to a halt.

"Aiden!" Ash snapped again, finally glaring over his shoulder at his son. "Why don't you listen to me?"

"Because I know what I'm doing!" Aiden huffed.

"No, you don't!" Ash bit.

As the father and son bickered, Growlithe's ember attack narrowly missed Zubat, who let out a shrill cry of anger in response.

"Hmm?" Jason looked up at his newest Pokémon. "What's going on, Zubat?"

Jewel turned her attention towards the floor and snickered deviously. "Oh, look! It's the little brat and his Daddy."

Jessie and James quickly became interested, and upon catching sight of their familiar foe, both grinned in wild, calculative fashions.

"Well, well, if it isn't the twerp!" James trilled.

"And his little twerp!" Jessie, of course, was referring to Aiden.

"But…Growlithe's attack missed?" Aiden grew wide eyed.

"What did I say?" Ash snarled. "You have _NO _idea what you're doing yet!" Turning his attention onto Pikachu, who sat furiously on his shoulder, Ash ordered, "Pikachu, use electroball!"

"Ka!" Pikachu nodded, jumping off of Ash's shoulder and firing off the ball of powerful electricity. This time, the attack made direct contact with the bat Pokémon, who landed listlessly on the diving board right in front of his trainer.

"No, Zubat!" Jason wailed. Giving Aiden a look of pure hatred, he pulled out the dual type's poke ball and returned it to the sanctuary of the sphere.

"Oh, enough of this," Jessie sighed. "James, finish reeling in those Pokémon, won't you?"

"Yes, of course!" James yanked the net right out of the water. Once it was in his grasp, Meowth pressed a green button on the same remote as before, causing jet packs to appear on each member's back.

Before Ash or Aiden could even think of reacting, the group of six shot right through the roof, creating a sizeable hole that was already giving Misty headaches.

"No, they got away!" Aiden whined.

"Maybe that wouldn't have happened if you'd just _listened _to me!" Ash stressed.

"Ash!"

The raven haired Master looked up, finding Misty to be running towards him. She was still carrying Elizabeth, and Brandon was trailing right behind her.

"Misty-" Ash began, but he was quickly cut off by the red head.

"You were supposed to save my Pokémon!" Misty wailed.

"I'm going to get them back, I swear to you!" Ash reached out and touched Misty's arm. "I might have been able to get them back now if Aiden had just listened to me…"

"Quit blaming me!" Aiden shouted.

"Aiden, I'm not blaming you," Ash sounded exasperated. "I'm just not pleased with your inability to listen!"

"Ash, calm down," Misty eyed her husband. "You're just upset because you couldn't get the Pokémon back. Don't take it out on Aiden."

Realizing that the wind created by Team Rocket had died down, Elizabeth pulled her face away from Misty's body and looked up curiously at her mother. "Mommy, where's Shelly?"

Misty blinked a few times before her heart started to race. "That's…a good question, Lizzie…Ash, you saw Michelle get out of the pool, didn't you?"

Ash's face went blank. "No…"

"Right before Team Rocket interrupted the show, didn't Michelle swim inside of that big seashell in the center of the pool?" Brandon inquired.

"And no one saw her get out…" Aiden blinked.

Gasping, Misty's face went pale as she shrieked, "that means…she's with Team Rocket!"

**XXX**

Groaning, Michelle pushed up the top of the seashell and slipped out of the prop, yelping quietly as she fell on the floor.

"Ow…" Michelle whined, holding onto her head.

"Dew?" Dewgong, who was sitting right next to where Michelle had fallen, was showing some serious concern for the young girl, which brought a smile to her face.

"Yeah, I'm just fine, Dewgong," Michelle sat up and pet the water type on the head. "Thanks for being worried about me, though."

"Gong," Dewgong nodded under her palm.

Michelle tried to move her legs, but forgot that they were being constricted by the pearly pink tail. "I hate this thing…" Michelle grumbled. Holding the costume by the waist, Michelle managed to squirm out of the tail, revealing the blue bikini bottoms she'd been wearing underneath. Stretching her legs out, Michelle giggled, "there! Much better!"

"Hello, boss!"

Michelle's ears perked at this. Turning her eyes up, Michelle saw the bright blue sky and fluffy white clouds, and around her green wicker.

_I must be in Team Rocket's balloon! _Michelle gasped inwardly. _So that means I got captured with the Pokémon…_

"You two imbeciles better be calling about something worthwhile, this time," a gruff voice emitted from the laptop, alarming Michelle. She sat up just enough to see over the basket, where she found the older two members of Team Rocket, Jessie and James, sitting in front of a laptop. The younger two, Jason and Jewel, stood off to the side.

"It's not just us, sir," Jessie informed the mysterious man. "Jason and Jewel have assisted us in this great mission!"

"Great mission?" the chilling voice repeated.

"Yes, we're training them, just as you wanted!" James nodded.

"Fine, what did you teach them?"

"How to steal an entire gym worth of Pokémon!" Jessie cackled.

"A gym raid?" The man suddenly sounded slightly impressed. "On which one, might I ask?"

"Why don't I let our little operatives tell you?" Jessie nudged the very nervous Jason and Jewel forward, both of whom were visibly sweating and shaking slightly.

"Well?" The man demanded when the pre teens didn't tell him right away.

"Sir…it was…well, we…" Jason stammered, leading to Jewel cutting him off with a small sneer.

"The Cerulean City gym, sir."

Silence set in after this, and Michelle watched in fascination as the four members of Team Rocket all visibly froze at the lack of communication.

"The water type gym?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where the gym leader is married to that insufferable Pokémon Master?"

"Yes, sir!"

Michelle's eyes narrowed at this. How _dare _that mystifying weirdo call her father something so terrible! He was a good man, and Michelle knew this guy couldn't be anything like her father if he was associated with people as evil as Team Rocket.

The man cleared his throat before requesting as gently as he could (which was really anything but), "May I speak to your…parents…alone, please?"

"Uh…yes, sir," Jason and Jewel simultaneously replied, stalking off into the forest so Jessie and James could talk to the man in peace. Their absence left the screen in Michelle's view for a few seconds, and she was able to get a clear picture of this strange, haunting man.

She could only see from his head down to his shoulders, but just from that, Michelle got the impression that he was a hulking, intimidating man. He had tan skin, short brown hair, and black eyes that were set into a permanent glare. His face had many lines, especially accentuated on his brow, and around his eyes and lips. Probably from grimacing, glowering, scowling, and frowning so much, Michelle assumed.

"Gi…Giovanni, sir?" Jessie asked timidly.

"Just _what _do you two think you are doing?" The man, apparently named Giovanni, barked.

"We thought you would like an impressive collection of extra strength water types, sir!" James sounded quite panicky himself.

"It's not the Pokémon that I'm upset about!" Giovanni slammed his fist against the desk that he must've been sitting in front of.

"O…oh?" Jessie held her shoulders back. "Then…what _are _you upset about?"

"You stormed straight into that gym leader's domain," Giovanni was breathing heavily, "_that _gym leader. The same one who is married to the Pokémon Master, the very bane of my existence. Do you not remember how badly they disgraced this organization 10 years ago?"

Michelle furrowed her brow. 10 years ago? She had been _born _10 years ago. What had happened then?

"Sir, I thought you weren't bothered by the fact we couldn't kidnap the twer-I mean…the elite trainer's children," Jessie piped up.

At this, Michelle's eyes widened. Team Rocket had tried to kidnap her and Aiden?

"Of course I'm bothered by it," Giovanni huffed. "They would've made some of the most elite agents this organization has ever seen! But you and everyone else failed at it, which is why I had to put my alternative plan into effect."

"And it's worked out so well, hasn't it, sir?" James sounded more optimistic now.

"That isn't the point!" Giovanni snapped. "The only child who has truly turned out a visionary is Magnus. You two cannot even properly teach the two you yourselves stole!"

"Jason and Jewel are still young," Jessie murmured, "they're learning-"

"They've been with you since they were several months old," Giovanni hissed. "It's been 11 years! They should be experts by now!"

"But they're getting better!" James tried. "Sir, they planned out almost all of that gym raid! Truly! They're going to be elite operatives one day!"

Michelle slunk back down into the basket, the fishing net still hanging over her as she pulled her knees into her chest. She wasn't entirely sure of what Team Rocket was talking about, but it certainly didn't sound like anything good.

"Besides, it doesn't matter if we messed around with those two," Jessie smirked. "We have the Pokémon, and we made a clean escape. Does that work for now, sir?"

"I suppose it will have to," Giovanni sighed. "But don't be so foolish next time!"

"Yes, sir!" The older two saluted their boss, who quickly cut off the connection.

"Can't you two do anything right?" Jessie stormed.

"Don't try to pin this on me!" James protested in a whiny tone.

"How is _this _supposed to teach Jason and Jewel anything?" Jessie barked. "Giovanni will be furious! We're failing his plan with those two!"

"Yeah, he didn't have us take 'em for nothin'!" Meowth agreed.

"But they really are like our children at this point…" James sulked.

Jessie sighed and just turned her head away, not knowing what else to say on the matter. James and Meowth, on the other hand, simply sighed and looked sadly at one another before calling Jason and Jewel back.

Michelle, meanwhile, soon noticed that all of the water Pokémon around her were trembling in fear. "No, don't worry!" Michelle went to work on reassuring the terrified creatures. "I won't let them take any of you! They won't get through me!"

The Pokémon stared at Michelle in awe. Grinning, Michelle pumped her fist in determination and nodded before jumping to her feet and bellowing, "Team Rocket!"

The devious foursome turned towards the basket, gasping at the sight of a very angry Michelle.

"The little twerpette?" Jessie and James shrieked.

"How did the brat get in our balloon?" Jewel cried.

"I will _not _let you steal the gym's Pokémon!" Michelle shouted. "So whatever your dumb, evil plan is, you'd better drop it right now and let us go!"

"Hey, our plan's not dumb!" Jason fumed.

"Jess, wait!" James grabbed his partner by the shoulder, giving her an almost pleading look. "This is our chance!"

"Our chance for what?" Jessie growled.

"To give the twerp's offspring to the boss!" James beamed.

"What does he want with a 10 year old?" Jessie shook James off of her. "She's not a baby anymore. She can't be raised into the kind of Team Rocket operative that he wanted!"

"I'm sure there's some kind of way to brainwash her!" James grinned. "It's worth a try, isn't it?"

Sighing, Jessie stood up straight and concluded, "I suppose you're right." Smirking, she raised her voice, "alright, twerpette, I'll make you a deal. The Pokémon stay here, but _you _come with _us._"

"What?" Jason and Jewel grew wide eyed.

Michelle held her breath at the ultimatum, unsure of what to do. Of course she didn't want to go with Team Rocket, but she had made a promise to the Pokémon that she would protect them. Biting her lip, Michelle clenched her fists and conceded, "fine, I'll go with you."

"Excellent!" Jessie cheered before cackling evilly.

The Pokémon all whimpered, staring sadly at Michelle and begging for her not to sacrifice herself in their own languages.

"I have to," Michelle whispered, "I don't know what they'll do to you guys, and I don't want to find out. I'll be fine, I promise."

"She's not going _anywhere_, Team Rocket!"

Michelle turned around and smiled widely at the sight of her parents, Aiden, and Brandon running towards her, her father's Unfezant flying overhead.

"Hey, you guys found me!" Michelle's face was bright with glee.

"You guys are going to pay for trying to take my little girl!" Ash tore a poke ball off of his belt. "Bayleef, I choose you!"

The grass type appeared before her trainer, crying out, "bay!" before glaring at the evil team before her.

"Dad!" Aiden whined, running up next to his father. Ash turned to look at Aiden, an expression of annoyance growing on his handsome face. "Please, let me help."

"Aiden," Ash sighed, "you don't know what to-"

"And I'll _never _know what to do if you don't let me get some experience!" Aiden interrupted.

Groaning, Ash rolled his eyes but concluded, "fine! Just follow my lead, alright?"

"You got it!" Aiden retrieved his own poke ball. "Let's go, Growlithe!"

The fire puppy Pokémon appeared next to Bayleef, growling at Team Rocket as his eyes narrowed in infuriation.

"James, show them just how well you've trained _our _son," Jessie's lips curled up into a devious smirk.

"With pleasure!" James pulled out a poke ball.

"Did he just say…_their son?_" Ash's jaw dropped.

"The original Team Rocket are those two's _parents?_" Aiden seemed equally shocked.

"Carnivine, you're on!" James threw the sphere, and was quickly engulfed into the grass type's mouth, shrieking as he was halfway swallowed.

"Is this…normal?" Aiden sweat dropped and leaned back slightly.

"Sadly, yes," Ash groaned, rubbing his face.

"I'm counting on you, Nidoran!" Jason released his partner Pokémon.

"Ah, get off of me!" James finally pried his long time Pokémon off of his head. "Carnivine, use bite on Bayleef, not me!"

"Carni!" Carnivine jumped forward, opening its mouth to try and catch Bayleef.

"Bayleef, dodge it!" Ash ordered skillfully.

"Leef!" The dinosaur Pokémon jumped out of the way, smirking as soon as she landed on her feet.

"Nidoran, use poison sting on Growlithe!" Jason pointed at the fire type.

"Ni!" Nidoran fired off the glowing white spikes.

"Growlithe, use-"

"No, Aiden!" Ash cut off his son's command.

"Oh…uh, dodge it!" Aiden rectified. Growlithe barked and narrowly avoided Nidoran's attack, much to Aiden's delight. "Alright! Nice work, Growlithe!"

As the battle raged on, Misty and Brandon managed to sneak over to the balloon's basket, freeing Michelle and the gym's Pokémon from the fishing net.

"Mom!" Michelle cheered as Misty extricated her from the lattice.

"Oh, my sweet little girl!" Misty hugged Michelle as soon as the net was off. Holding her by the shoulders, Misty whimpered, "are you alright? Did they hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," Michelle shook her head happily.

"This wouldn't have happened if I hadn't forced you into doing the water ballet," Misty still sounded shaken up. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart…"

"Mom, I'm fine!" Michelle laughed. "Don't get so worked up."

"Hey! Just what do you think you're doing?"

Misty and Michelle both turned around, finding Jessie to be glaring at them.

"Your little twerpy offspring just agreed to join Team Rocket, so it's too late for you!" Jessie pointed an accusatory finger at Misty.

"Oh please, she's _my _daughter," Misty narrowed her eyes. "You'll never know what that feels like, but I can tell you right now that she isn't going with you."

"Excuse _me, _but _I _have a daughter too, you know!" Jessie stormed.

"You? Having a _baby?_" Misty raised an eyebrow. "I don't have any recollection of _that _ever happening."

"Well it did, and she's a perfect miniature version of myself!" Jessie hugged Jewel. "Isn't that right, my sweet little darling?"

"Of course!" Jewel giggled.

"Wait…that's her _Mom?_" Michelle looked shiftily at Brandon.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have guessed that," the aspiring Pokémon breeder shook his head.

"Either way, I'm not going to let you just walk away with my daughter!" Misty barked. "Dewgong, aurora beam!"

The leader of the gym Pokémon nodded its head before firing off a rainbow beam at Jessie, hitting her directly. It sent her and Jewel crashing into James and Jason, creating a heap of people on the ground.

"Hey, no fair!" Jessie cried.

"Neither is kidnapping," Misty rolled her eyes.

"Sneasel, attack them!" Jewel ordered furiously.

"How about some of my fury swipes?" Sneasel jumped up, extracting his claws to try and attack Aiden.

"Oh no you don't!" Ash jumped in front of the boy as a shield before commanding, "Pikachu, thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and fired off his signature move. It hit Sneasel and affected him immediately, causing him to land back in the mound of his teammates and sending the electrocution straight through to them.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They cried, turning into nothing more than a sparkle in the sky.

"Finally," Ash sighed tiredly.

"Thanks Dad," Aiden murmured from behind the man.

Ash raised an eyebrow and whipped around, chuckling at his son's slightly scared expression. "Thanks for what, champ?"

"Protecting me," Aiden blinked, assuming it had been obvious. "If you hadn't jumped in front of me and used Pikachu, Sneasel would've clawed my face off."

"I'd never let _anyone_ claw off my little buddy's face," Ash smirked, taking off Aiden's hat to ruffle his hair.

"Good to know," Aiden laughed.

"Mist, how are all the Pokémon looking?" Ash called out to his wife.

"I think they're just fine," Misty smiled down at the water types who all resided in the gym. "How are you guys? Are you all okay?"

They all cheered, nodding their heads and appearing much happier than they had even moments ago.

"Yep, everyone's looking pretty good!" Brandon agreed.

"And my little princess?" Ash hurried over to Michelle, holding her face in his hands. "Are _you _alright? Nothing broken, sprained, bruised, cut, touched, scraped, bur-"

"Dad, I'm _fine!_" Michelle moaned.

"I just have to make sure," Ash hugged the girl close to him, feeling relieved when she rubbed her cheek against his chest. Whispering to her so no one else would hear, Ash informed her, "I was so scared when I realized that you were gone…I know that Team Rocket wouldn't hesitate to do horrible things to you."

"I'm okay," Michelle murmured against him.

"I think we should head back to the gym," Misty smiled at her husband, who looked up and nodded in agreement. "This should be a fun one to explain to my sisters…"

**XXX**

When the group returned to the gym, Misty was instantly greeted by Elizabeth, who ran to the front door with a huge smile on her little face as she cried out happily, "Mommy! Mommy!"

"Hello, my beautiful baby!" Misty kneeled down to catch Elizabeth and lift her into the air. "I'm so happy that you got out of this unscathed."

Daisy, Violet, and Lily came from the same direction that Elizabeth had, with their daughters trailing closely behind.

"Thank you for watching Lizzie for me while we tracked down Team Rocket," Misty smiled at her sisters.

"Don't mention it," Daisy shook her head. "That was a no brainer."

"Did you get all of the Pokémon back?" Lily questioned.

"Sure did," Ash placed his hands on his hips. "They're all back in the battle area, resting in the pool!"

"Michelle, are you alright?" Violet looked down at her niece, who was still dressed in her sky blue bikini. Pichu, who had been residing in the blue haired woman's arms, jumped into the possession of Michelle, emitting happy sounds as she cuddled up against her giggling trainer.

"Yeah!" Michelle nodded quickly. Her happy expression soon melted, however, and she backtracked, "but…I ruined your show. I'm really sorry."

"Oh, dear, you didn't ruin it!" Daisy refuted. "If anyone is responsible for that, it's Team Rocket."

"Yeah, you were doing really well until those guys showed and messed everything up!" Dakota agreed.

"Even though the show got interrupted, everyone was talking about how beautiful and graceful you were!" Vanessa continued.

"R…really?" Michelle was shocked by this revelation.

"Yeah, you're a real star!" Lola giggled.

"That's…awesome!" Michelle grinned foolishly. "Even though I _still _don't like being a ballerina…"

"Michelle, why don't you go get changed out of your bathing suit?" Misty nudged her daughter.

"Okay," Michelle nodded, heading up the stairs that led to the dressing rooms.

"Mist…" Ash pulled his wife closer to him, "can you believe that Jessie and James had _kids?_"

"No, I don't," Misty shook her head.

"Don't you find it a little odd that those kids look absolutely _nothing _like them?" Ash inquired.

"Completely," Misty nodded slowly. "But what I find even more strange than _that _is the fact that those two don't seem much older than Aiden and Michelle. But I don't ever remember seeing Jessie pregnant…"

"Yeah, you're right!" Ash's eyes widened. "And it's not like they disappeared for months at a time. We kept running into 'em, before _and _after Aiden and Michelle were born!"

"Something's up with those two…" Misty sighed, "I just wish I knew what…"

* * *

**That's right, Team Rocket is DEFINITELY up to something. But what? You guys can leave a review and tell me what you think it is. But also tell me how the chapter was! This one is my favorite so far, and I want to know what you all thought of it ^^**

**By the way, the hardest part of this chapter was writing Jewel and Jason's motto. It had to be similair to Jessie and James' without completely replicating it. But I like the way it came out! That's what they'll be saying from now on :)**


	9. First Contest, First Rival!

**Guess what? I'm uploading this chapter one day early. Because I can. Okay, no, I'm actually doing it because I'll be busy tomorrow. I have dinner plans. And when I'm not at dinner, I'll be watching THE OLYMPICS! Yes, best thing ever. I prefer winter (because of the hockey, duh) but summer has lots of great events too! The opening ceremony tonight should be awesome. ...I'll shut up now.**

**Last time: After doing extra training with her cousins under the watchful eyes of her Aunts, the time for Michelle to perform in the water ballet has finally come! But Team Rocket shows up and ruins the whole thing, kidnapping the gym's Pokemon and, unknowingly, Michelle! While in their posession, Michelle learns that Team Rocket is harboring a mysterious secret; something that has to do with Jason and Jewel. Right when she agrees to sacrifice herself for the Pokemon, Michelle is rescued by her parents, brother, and Brandon, who drive Team Rocket away and protect her. Where will Michelle and the boys go next? And just what is Team Rocket's secret?**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: First Contest, First Rival!**

After spending one last night at home, Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon departed from Cerulean City, looking forward to the next event on their Pokémon adventure.

"So, where's our next stop?" Aiden looked at Brandon, who was in possession of the poke gear.

"Let's see…" Brandon booted up the map on his blue and black device. "Ah, on here, it says the closest place is Sunfire Town!"

"Sunfire Town?" Michelle repeated before beaming, "Hey, that's where they're holding a Pokémon contest!"

"I assume you're going to enter?" Brandon smiled at the aspiring coordinator.

"Of course!" Michelle giggled. "It's time to get my coordinator career on track!"

"Pipichu!" Pichu, who was perched atop the red head's shoulder, agreed.

"Have you even done any training for this?" Aiden scoffed.

Michelle stopped in her tracks and got right in her brother's face, who seemed bothered by the proximity. "Oh, _please. You're _going to question _me _about training and being prepared? I already went through the same thing with you and your first gym battle! Of _course _I've been training! I'm much smarter than you are!"

"Hey!" Aiden snapped.

"You asked for it!" Michelle huffed.

"If you think you're so ready for this contest, then why don't you show us your appeal, huh?" Aiden retorted.

"With pleasure!" Michelle smirked. "Pichu, let's show 'em what we've been practicing!"

"Pi!" Pichu jumped up into the air, performing a mid air flip before landing on her feet in front of Michelle, raising her paws in the air and tilting her head to the side. "Pichu!"

"I see they're going for the cuteness factor," Brandon chuckled.

"Who are you referring to?" Aiden grinned deviously. "Pichu or Michelle?"

"Ah!" Brandon covered Aiden's mouth. "Be quiet, you!"

Michelle, however, was completely oblivious to whatever was going on behind her. She was too busy preparing to give Pichu her orders. "Alright Pichu, start off with charm!"

"Pi!" Pichu raised her little paws to her mouth and blew a kiss, creating a shower of pink hearts.

"Now, spin!" Michelle called.

Pichu spun on her toes, the hearts swirling around her in rapid fashion.

"Hey, that looks pretty good!" Aiden awed.

"Now, Pichu, thunder shock!" Michelle ordered.

"Pi! Pi…chu!" Still spinning, Pichu unleashed electricity, the bright yellow light colliding with the swirling hearts and causing each one to explode in a shower of pink sparkles.

"Awesome!" Brandon marveled.

"Let's finish this up, Pichu!" Michelle was grinning from ear to ear. "Use-"

"Vulpix, stop it! Get back here!"

Aiden and Brandon blinked and looked beyond where Pichu was performing her appeal. A small, fox like Pokémon was charging towards the baby mouse, looking quite happy as she dashed without a care in the world.

"Hey, Michelle, tell Pichu to look out!" Brandon warned.

"Huh?" Michelle looked over her shoulder at the aspiring breeder.

Unfortunately for the coordinator, she didn't understand Brandon's counsel, and Vulpix collided with the still twirling Pichu.

"Pi!" Pichu cried out in slight agony as she lay on the ground.

"Ah, Pichu!" Michelle ran over to her Pokémon and gathered the small being in her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Chu…" Pichu's eyes filled with tears.

"Oh, please don't cry!" Michelle hugged her partner. "It's okay, cutie!"

"I'm so, so sorry!"

Michelle looked up and found a girl with an Espeon by her side to be staring down at her. The girl was very pretty, with long, platinum blonde hair that went down to her mid back and flipped outwards at the ends. She had light skin, hazel eyes, and appeared to be the same age as Michelle. The girl wore a light purple hoodie that was zipped a little more than halfway up to show off her white, lace trimmed tank underneath. On her bottom half was a short pink skirt and white strappy sandals.

Giggling softly, Michelle stood up and shook her head, adding, "It's alright! Don't worry about it."

"Vulpix, look what you did!" The girl sighed. The brown fox got back on its paws and cocked its head, not understanding why it was getting scolded. "You could've really hurt that poor little Pichu! Say you're sorry."

Vulpix simply blinked and swished its tails back and forth a few times before yawning and curling up into a ball.

"Ugh, you're such a piece of work," the girl groaned.

"Wow, is that your Vulpix?" Aiden marveled.

"Yeah," the blonde didn't seem too excited to admit this fact. "But she's still very young, so she's kind of a handful. I was just trying to give her some training, but…you see how well _that _turned out."

Aiden pulled his pokedex out of his backpack and held it up to the small fire type.

_Vulpix, the fox Pokémon. Vulpix are born with one white tail that, over time, separates into six orange tails. They are often friendly, albeit spoiled, and, in hot temperatures, expel flames from their mouths in order to keep their bodies from overheating._

"Nonsense, don't be so hard on yourself!"

The girl shrieked in surprise, now locking her eyes on none other than Brandon, who had grabbed her hands.

"Uh…okay?" She blinked.

"It's not your fault, sometimes Pokémon can just be a little bit of trouble!" Brandon pulled himself up and smacked a hand over his heart. "I would know, since I _am _aspiring to be a Pokémon Breeder!" Leaning back down, he held his chin with his fingers and asked in a husky voice, "Does that impress you?"

"Uh…I…"

"Brandon, leave her alone!" Michelle yanked the boy back his shirt, nearly throwing him on the ground in the process. Sighing, she turned her attention back onto the blonde and quipped; "now _I'm _sorry."

"Don't be," the girl giggled. "Your Pichu looked pretty impressive, especially for a baby Pokémon! By any chance are you here to enter the Pokémon Contest?"

"Yeah!" Michelle nodded. "It'll be my first one!"

"Wow, how exciting!" The girl's eyes were sparkling. "Another coordinator!"

"You're a coordinator too?" Michelle's face lit up.

"Yes!" She confirmed. "My name's Clarisse. And right here is my partner, Espeon!"

"Es," the purple, cat like Pokémon mewled, licking her paw and rubbing it against her face.

"An Espeon?" Michelle gasped. "That's so cool!" She pulled out her sky blue pokedex and scanned the Pokémon.

_Espeon, the sun Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eeevee. Espeon holds a great loyalty to both its trainer and the sunlight, and has fur so soft and sensitive that it simulates velvet. They are able to sense the future, as well as changes in weather and their opponent's next move._

"How cute!" Michelle kneeled down and stroked the appreciative Pokémon's head. "And so beautiful, too!"

"Eevee evolves into Espeon when you have a close bond and train it in the daytime, right?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, that's exactly right!" Clarisse smiled.

"I wish I could have an Eevee!" Michelle's eyes sparkled. "I wonder what I would evolve mine into…"

"Impressive, isn't it?" Brandon once again moved closer to the blonde coordinator. "I really know my stuff, if I do say so myself!"

"Brandon, quit it!" Aiden shoved the older boy away from Clarisse. She pursed her lips and stared at the raven haired boy, who looked flustered by Brandon's behavior. "Sorry, sometimes I think his brain stops working," Aiden rubbed the back of his neck. Chuckling, he opened his eyes and greeted, "Hi! My name's Aiden!"

"Oh…nice to meet you," Clarisse's eyes gleamed.

Peering down at the ground, Aiden pointed at his best friend and continued, "that's Brandon. He's my best friend…unfortunately."

At this, Clarisse giggled charmingly.

"And my name is Michelle," the red head properly introduced herself. Holding her arms out, she added, "And this is _my _partner, Pichu!"

"Oh, isn't she just precious?" Clarisse tickled Pichu's stomach, causing the baby Pokémon to shriek happily and wave her paws in the air. "I just _love _baby Pokémon!"

"Pichu's really excited about entering the contest too," Michelle smiled. "So, Clarisse, do you have any ribbons?"

"Yep!" Clarisse pulled out a lilac colored metal case, sliding it open to reveal a white velvet interior with five indents for the ribbons, two of which were filled.

"Wow, so you've already got two ribbons!" Michelle's eyes grew wide. Aiden leaned in next to her and examined the ribbons, smirking at the prizes that were associated with Pokémon contests.

"They're pretty," Aiden chuckled.

For some reason, this made Clarisse blush. Michelle took notice right before the redness disappeared, but Aiden didn't.

"Thank you!" Clarisse closed the case. "I only need three more until I'm eligible to enter the Grand Festival, but still, that seems like a lot!"

"I still need all five," Michelle sulked.

"I already have one badge, so I'm ahead of you," Aiden commented.

"Oh, who asked you?" Michelle bit.

"Wait…so you're not a coordinator?" Clarisse turned her eyes onto Aiden.

"Nah, I'm a gym trainer!" Aiden grinned. "It's my goal to become the Pokémon Master! And I've already got one badge! Do you wanna' to see it?"

"Aiden, she doesn't want to look at your dumb badge," Michelle rolled her eyes.

"How do you know?" Aiden snapped.

"Because I do," Michelle shrugged.

Clarisse watched the two argue for a bit before piping up, "you two have a pretty interesting relationship… I don't think I've ever seen friends argue so much before!"

"Oh, we're not friends!" Michelle blushed, waving a hand at the girl.

"Not even close," Aiden rolled his eyes.

"You're…not friends?" Clarisse seemed genuinely thrown off by this.

"No, we're brother and sister," Aiden stuck his tongue out at Michelle, who proceeded to push him away by the face.

"Really?" Clarisse's eyes widened. "So…who's older?" She pointed at Aiden. "Is it you?"

"Why, yes I am!" Aiden puffed his chest out, while Michelle narrowed her eyes. "I'm glad that you realize who the older one here is!"

Sighing, Michelle informed Clarisse, "Yeah, he's older. By _TWELVE MINUTES!_"

Aiden nearly fell over, sulking once he managed to compose himself. "But…I _am _older…"

"In your own mind," Michelle grumbled.

"So…you two are twins!" Clarisse finally came to the conclusion.

"Yep," Michelle giggled.

"That's so cool!" Clarisse clasped her hands together. "I've always wanted to know a set of twins! It seems like it would be so much fun to have a brother or sister that's exactly the same age as you!"

"Yeah, "_seems" _is the key word of that sentence," Michelle smirked.

"Michelle, I hate to break up this conversation about how you and Aiden can barely stand to be next to each other for more than five minutes," Brandon hopped back up, "but don't you have to go and register for the contest?"

Michelle yelped as a concerned look took over her face. "Oh, no! You're right! I totally forgot! What if I'm late and there's no spots left?"

"You should be just fine!" Clarisse laughed warmly. "Come on, I'll show you to the main building where you can register!"

**XXX**

"This is the Contest Hall!"

Michelle's jaw dropped as she stared at the giant building in front of her. It was so elegant looking, with a big pink ribbon sign on the front that read, just as Clarisse had stated: "Contest Hall."

Leading Michelle, Aiden, and Brandon inside, Clarisse explained, "not only is the Contest Hall where the actual Contest takes place, but you can also have your Pokémon examined, meet up with other coordinators, and get your Contest Pass which will enable you to enter any Contest being held in the Kanto region!"

"This place is so cool!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling.

"Shelly, why don't you go get your pass?" Aiden nudged his sister.

"Oh, right!" Michelle giggled sheepishly.

Clarisse led her to the front desk, where a young woman with medium length strawberry blonde hair and silver eyes sat. She looked up at Michelle and smiled sweetly, prompting, "Hello, miss. What can I help you with today?"

"I need to register for Contests," Michelle replied, "I don't have a Contest Pass yet…"

"No problem!" The woman grinned. "I'll just need your pokedex for a minute, please!"

"Sure, no problem!" Michelle once again fished out the light blue device and handed it to the woman behind the desk.

The group watched as the receptionist pushed Michelle's pokedex into a machine slot, pressing a few buttons after doing so. Michelle's picture and information popped up on a screen, and with the prodding of a few more minutes, a plastic rectangle was ejected from a smaller slot right above where Michelle's pokedex had been placed.

"You're all set, Michelle!" The woman handed Michelle back her pokedex and the newly printed Contest Pass. "I have just a few more things for you…" Michelle waited patiently while the woman gathered up some objects behind the desk. Once done, she handed off quite an impressive heap to Michelle, which surprised the young girl. "By registering for Contests throughout the Kanto region, you also receive a Contest rule book and a ribbon case! And specifically for today's Contest, a ball capsule and seals."

"Capsule and seals?" Michelle repeated, looking questioningly at the purple sphere and sticker sheet. "But I thought these were only used in Sinnoh Contests…"

"In recent years, Kanto contests have become more elaborate," Clarisse explained to Michelle. "Some Contests will be "Classic," which means there are no capsules and seals. In other cases, the Contest organizers will decide to make it a "Super Contest," which involves dressing up and using the capsules and seals. It keeps things more interesting!"

"So…this one is a Super Contest?" Michelle blinked.

"That's right!" Clarisse nodded.

Michelle just stood there for a minute before letting out a wail. "Ugh! I don't have a Contest dress!"

"That's not a big deal," Aiden scoffed. "Just call Mom! I'm sure she'll know what to do."

"Good idea," Michelle sighed.

"There are video phones right over there!" Clarisse pointed at the row of green phones. "I have to train with Vulpix some more, but I'll see you later!"

"Okay, see ya'!" Michelle smiled at the blonde. "Thanks for all of your help!"

"No problem!" Clarisse shook her head. "It was the least I could do after all of the trouble that Vulpix caused…"

From behind a nearby potted plant, a familiar, devious trio watched the four young trainers with narrowed eyes.

"Looks like the bratette is entering a Contest," Sneasel observed.

"And neither of her parents are coordinators?" Jason rolled his eyes up and down Michelle's figure. "How strange."

"Ooh, I will _not _let that stupid girl get the better of me again!"

Jason and Sneasel looked over to the side, where Jewel was snarling to herself and holding up a shaking fist.

"What do you have in mind, Jewelley?" Jason tilted his head, using the nickname he'd had for the girl ever since they were children.

"I'm going to enter this Contest and bury that stupid, good for nothing brat!" Jewel bit.

"That's the spirit!" Sneasel grinned.

"But Jewel, you can't enter as yourself!" Jason panicked. "We can't blow our cover as Team Rocket operatives by entering a _Contest!_"

"Jason, don't be dumb," Jewel huffed. "Don't you know that we're the masters of disguise?"

"Uh…" Jason had no response to that.

Before he could even formulate a response, however, Jewel had whipped on a disguise: tying her waist length blue hair up into a high ponytail with braids on either side of her head. She had traded out her white Team Rocket uniform for a strapless, royal purple dress with a silver, brown, and green feather design on the bodice and sequins trailing down from the waist. Silver high heels had replaced her black, knee high boots, and she wore a silver masquerade mask over her eyes that resembled a Butterfree's wings.

"Where's she been hiding that outfit?" Sneasel blinked.

"Gentlemen, meet my alternate persona," Jewel cackled as she held her skirt out to the side and gave her teammates a small curtsey, "Gemma!"

**XXX**

"A Super Contest…?"

"Mom, why are you making it sound like you think that I'm lying?" Michelle grimaced.

"Because your father never said anything about those being in Kanto," Misty raised an eyebrow. "I thought that was a Sinnoh thing."

"Apparently, some Contests in Kanto are like that now," Michelle shrugged. "But either way, I didn't bring any nice dresses with me. What should I do?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart," Misty giggled. "I'll just send a dress over to the Contest Hall! They take deliveries there, you know."

"Thanks, Mom!" Michelle's face lit up. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Of course, dear," Misty giggled airily. "I'll quick ship it, and hopefully it will be there tomorrow morning. The Contest is in the afternoon, right?"

Michelle nodded her head, red layers bouncing around her face.

"Perfect, the dress will be there!" Misty assured. "And your father and I will watch the Contest right here. Good luck, sweetheart!"

"Thanks, Mom," Michelle blushed slightly. "I'm going to do my best!"

"I know you will," Misty nodded.

When the call ended, Michelle turned around to face Brandon and Aiden, but was surprised to find only one of the boys still standing behind her.

"Where did Aiden go?" Michelle scanned her eyes around the main lobby of the Contest Hall.

"He said he was going to go outside and do a little training," Brandon replied. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm hungry!"

"Pi! Pichu!" The baby mouse sitting on Michelle's lap agreed.

"Alright then," Michelle giggled. "I guess it's time for some lunch!"

"Should we go get Aiden?" Brandon inquired.

"Nah, leave him to his work," Michelle smiled as she stood up. "I'm amazed that he went to training without me having to tell him to do it! Maybe he's finally growing a brain."

"You two are so mean to each other," Brandon sighed.

"No we're not," Michelle smirked. "It's a sibling thing, you just don't understand it."

**XXX**

Outside, Squirtle and Growlithe were both standing before their trainer, watching with interest as he stood with his arms folded across his chest and his eyes closed; a completely pensive stance.

"Growl?" Growlithe barked curiously.

Finally, Aiden opened his eyes, a smile set on his face as he nodded his head. "Alright, got it!" Looking down at his two Pokémon, Aiden began, "guys, I know from all the things my Dad has told me that the next gym is located in Vermillion City, and that it's an electric type gym!"

The two Pokémon nodded, intently listening to the boy's chatter.

"But Squirtle, that puts you at a disadvantage," Aiden frowned.

"Squirt?" Squirtle raised an eyebrow.

"But that's okay," Aiden smiled encouragingly at the water type. "Just because you're not gonna' battle doesn't mean I'm not gonna' train with you! Today, you two will _both _get a workout!"

"Growl! Ithe!" Growlithe nodded.

"Squirt, squirtle!" Squirtle agreed.

"Awesome!" Aiden grinned and pointed at a nearby tree. "Now, Squirtle, use bubble on that tree!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle unleashed a stream of bubbles, which exploded as soon as they hit the trunk, leaving a visible scratch on the bark.

"Nice job!" Aiden complimented his starter. "Now, Growlithe, you use ember!"

"Lithe!" Growlithe fired off his own attack, but since Aiden hadn't given the puppy Pokémon a target to shoot at, he had just sent it off randomly into the field. Almost immediately after the attack was fired, however, a girlish scream threw Aiden off guard, and sent his eyes frantically searching.

"Whoa, what was that?" Aiden gasped.

He ran in the direction of where Growlithe had sent his ember attack, with Squirtle and Growlithe following closely behind. What they found was Clarisse, her back facing them with Espeon and Vulpix standing at either of her sides.

"Hey, Clarisse, are you okay?" Aiden called out concernedly.

"M…my bike!" Clarisse turned around and gave Aiden a horrified look. "It's totally destroyed!"

Aiden's heart practically stopped beating. He looked around the pretty blonde coordinator and, just as she had wailed, her bike lay before her in a smoking, burnt to a crisp heap.

"Uh…" Aiden stammered, wanting nothing more than to find a cliff and jump off of it.

_You must be kidding me! _Aiden screamed in his head. _Dad always teased me about this, but I never thought it would _actually _happen! This is too ironic even for my tastes…_

"I don't even know where that ember attack came from…" Clarisse sighed. "At first, I thought it was Vulpix, but she was napping…"

Vulpix's ears twitched upon hearing its name and got up onto its feet, mewling out an innocent, "vul?"

"No, I know it wasn't you, Vulpix," Clarisse smiled, petting her young fire type on its head. The little fire fox made some more happy noises before turning its head and setting its big, brown eyes on Growlithe, who was looking fairly guilty as he stood next to Aiden.

"Pix! Vul, pix!" Vulpix skipped over to Growlithe, looking up at her fellow fire type with an expression full of admiration.

Growlithe seemed to sense this as he looked down and raised an eyebrow, uttering a soft, "growl?"

"Vul!" Vulpix ran over to Growlithe's side and nuzzled against him, causing the puppy Pokémon to yelp in surprise and jump away.

This caught the attention of Clarisse and Aiden, who both looked down to find Vulpix playfully chasing after an obviously flustered Growlithe.

"Aw, isn't that so cute?" Clarisse cooed.

"Yeah, they're playing," Aiden chuckled.

"No, I mean…I think Vulpix has a little crush on Growlithe!" Clarisse giggled.

"What?" Aiden's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

"Yeah, look at how she's chasing him around, and how she's looking at him!" Clarisse clasped her hands together.

"So…your Vulpix is a girl?" Aiden blinked.

At this, Clarisse nearly fell over. She couldn't believe that, after taking notice of something so sweet, that Aiden's only comment was concerning her Vulpix's _gender._

"You're…funny, Aiden," Clarisse laughed nervously.

Aiden just tilted his head, not entirely sure of whether Clarisse had just given him a compliment or a disguised insult.

"So…" Aiden wanted to change the subject as quickly as possible, "who do you think did that to your bike?"

"I don't know," Clarisse turned her attention back to her tarnished bicycle. "But…I'm not really too upset about it."

"You're not?" Aiden felt a rush of relief wash over him.

"No," Clarisse smiled, shaking her head. "That was an old bicycle. Maybe I'll get a new one when I go home…but for now, I don't mind walking! My Mom's been trying to guilt trip me into doing that for awhile now anyway."

_Thank Arceus! _A huge grin broke out on Aiden's face.

"Oh, well that's good to hear!" Aiden beamed.

"Aiden, where are you?"

The young trainer looked over his shoulder, and although he saw no one behind him, he recognized that voice instantly as belonging to his twin sister.

"Who's calling you?" Clarisse asked.

"Oh, my sister," Aiden shook his head, raven locks flying out around him. "I'd…better go see what she wants." Smiling up at the blonde, he concluded, "I'll see ya' later, Clarisse! Come on Squirtle, Growlithe!"

The water and fire types both nodded, following after their trainer as he dashed away, leaving behind an overjoyed Vulpix, and a thoroughly bewildered Clarisse.

* * *

**Yeah, this chapter is a tiny bit shorter than usual. I had to cut it because if I had included the entirety of Michelle's first Contest in this chapter, it would've been impossibly long to read. Even I was getting bored while I was writing it...so, it had to be chopped up. But don't worry, you will see the Contest next chapter!**

**Excited for it? Leave a review and tell me what you think is going to happen! Which Pokemon will Michelle use? I'm excited to see everyone's guesses! So, get writing, and I'll see you all next week!**


	10. Contest Debut! Michelle's Grand Entry!

**Hellooo, everyone :P New chapter! You all waited a week, so of course, it's time to update :P Enjoy Michelle's contest debut!**

**Last time: Michelle and the boys arrived in Sunfire Town, where Michelle's first Contest would take place. While training, Michelle meets Clarisse, a fellow coordinator who is also going to compete in the Contest. She shows Michelle around and informs the red head that this Contest will be a "Super Contest", which involves ball capsules and dressing up. While figuring out how to get a dress, Aiden goes outside to train his own Pokemon, and by using Growlithe's ember, accidentally burns Clarisse's bike, although he won't admit to it. Now it's time for Michelle's Contest debut...how will it go down?**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Contest Debut! Michelle's Grand Appearance!**

The next morning, Aiden and Brandon were awoken by the slamming of a door, accompanied by a loud shriek.

Both boys shot out of bed, still clothed in their pajamas and sporting messier heads of hair than usual, _especially _in Aiden's case.

"Michelle, are you okay?!" Brandon gasped, his eyes locking on the coordinator.

Clearly, it was _she _who had created all of the noise. She was standing in front of the now closed door of the trio's bedroom, fully dressed in her daytime outfit and holding a brown package in her hands.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Michelle giggled at the notion that she was anything but. "I just went downstairs to see if the dress Mom sent me was here, and it was!"

"_That's _what you were screaming about?" Aiden was wide awake now, and understandably ticked off. "I thought you were dying or something!"

"What are you, then, dumb?" Michelle rolled her eyes.

"Since when do you care about fancy dresses and gettin' all girly?" Aiden muttered.

"Never," Michelle answered simply. "But this is a completely different circumstance. This is the dress I'm going to wear in my first Contest _ever! _It's so exciting! I have to try it on!" And with that, she made her way into the room's bathroom.

Pichu, who had still been sleeping on Michelle's bed, sat up with a small whine and slowly twitched her ears. "Pi…chu…"

"Aw, Pichu is up!" Ash chuckled, approaching the baby mouse. He sat down next to her and patted his lap, cooing, "come here, little Pichu!"

The mouse furrowed her brow and squeaked indignantly. Aiden raised an eyebrow at this, not understanding why Pichu wouldn't just come to him.

"What's up with her?" Aiden frowned at Brandon, folding his arms across his green shirt.

"It's the morning, she's fussy," Brandon smirked. "And I think she's hungry, too." Kneeling down in front of the bed to be at eye level with the small electric type, Brandon asked, "do ya' want some of that tasty MooMoo Milk, Pichu?"

"Pi!" Pichu nodded, jumping onto Brandon's shoulder.

"Figures, Michelle's Pokémon are just like her," Aiden grumbled.

"What do you guys think?"

Aiden and Brandon picked their heads up, the sound of Michelle's voice once again catching their attention. Fortunately, it wasn't a disruptive command this time, so the boys were less panicked. Pichu was the first one to respond vocally, however, uttering a happy, "chu!"

Michelle stood in the center of the room, changed into her new Contest dress, the top of which was dark green and wrapped around her neck with a halter strap. The bottom of the dress was a much lighter green, to the point where it looked nearly white. There were four layers of petal shaped chiffon, floating out around the young coordinator. On her feet, she wore white ballet flats with green chiffon flowers on the toes, and while her hair was still down, her blue seashell clip had been replaced by one of a green flower.

"Wow, that's a really nice dress!" Brandon complimented his long time friend.

"Yeah, my Mom did a good job!" Michelle looked up with sparkling eyes, the emerald hue of which was really brought out by the color of her dress. "She left a note in the box, and said I should put my hair up in a ponytail, leave the two front layers down, and pull one back with the clip. I just didn't want to do that right now."

"I think that's a perfect outfit for your Contest debut," Brandon smiled at the girl before training his eyes on her twin brother. "Right, Aiden?"

The aspiring breeder held his breath, hoping and praying that Aiden would be nice to the girl. It was the morning of her very first Contest, after all, and riling up the girl wouldn't be the best idea, aside from the fact that it was just kind of mean.

"Yeah, you're gonna' look great!" Aiden agreed, a smile appearing on his face.

"Thank you," Michelle blushed, surprised by the fact that her brother had actually had a nice comment for her instead of his usual snide ones.

"Maybe you should get changed back into your regular clothes," Brandon suggested. "We'll do the same and then go downstairs to have some breakfast!"

"Sounds good to me," Michelle nodded with a smile. Before she walked back into the bathroom, she added, "Oh, did you guys know that Clarisse's bike was totally destroyed yesterday?"

"Really?" Brandon sounded surprised, while Aiden nearly fell off the bed.

"Yeah, she said an ember attack came out of nowhere and burnt her bicycle to a crisp," Michelle furrowed her brow. "I wonder if that was Team Rocket's doing."

"Guess we'll never know, huh?" Aiden laughed nervously, which went by unbeknownst to Michelle and Brandon.

**XXX**

The morning dragged on for Michelle, who was eagerly waiting to make her Contest debut. After what felt more like a thousand years rather than just a few hours, it was mid afternoon, and time for the Sunfire Town Pokémon Contest to occur.

Michelle had changed back into her brand new Contest dress, complete with her hair up in a ponytail with the two front layers down and one held back by her green flower hairclip. She stood staring down at her shoes, her hands balled into fists at her sides as she concentrated on her impending Contest debut.

A tap on the shoulder alarmed the young coordinator, who shrieked and jumped a few inches in the air. Whipping around, she found that it was Clarisse who had delivered the small knock, and was now giggling like a little girl.

"Oh, Clarisse," Michelle sighed, holding a hand over her heart. "You scared me!"

"I'm sorry!" Clarisse continued to laugh airily. "I was just checking in on you! You nervous?"

"Just a little," Michelle's face was far more pale than usual.

"That's completely normal," Clarisse waved a hand. "But you'll be fine! Turn those pre appeal jitters into an all out adrenaline rush!"

Michelle looked over Clarisse's Contest wear: a gold and white dress with translucent, flowy short sleeves, decorated with gold beading and a short tutu skirt with white tulle peeking out from underneath the pale gold material covering it. On her feet was a pair of dark gold ballet flats, and on her head a golden tiara, which matched perfectly to her platinum blonde hair that had been curled into tight, bouncy locks.

"Wow, your outfit is gorgeous!" Michelle awed.

"Oh, thank you!" Clarisse beamed. "Yours is too! The color green is _perfect _for you! So, what number are you?"

"16," Michelle replied. "What's yours?"

"8," Clarisse smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry you have to wait for so long."

"Me too," Michelle sighed in an exasperated fashion. "As excited as I am for my first Contest, part of me just wishes it was over…"

**XXX**

Up in the stands, Aiden and Brandon sat and waited for the Contest to get underway.

"Do you think Michelle is ready for this?" Aiden frowned.

"I'm sure she is," Brandon assured with a smile. "She's been training like crazy! Not to mention, she's got your parents' blood running through her veins. I'm sure she's going to be just fine!"

"I'm so nervous," Aiden grumbled, burying his face in his hands.

"Is your twin telepathy thing working on you again?" Brandon smirked.

Aiden nodded his head without looking up. Since he and Michelle were twins, they could often sense one another's emotions or thoughts without even being in the vicinity of one another. Brandon found that to be pretty funny since the two fought so often.

"Good afternoon, folks! And welcome to the Sunfire Town Pokémon Contest!"

The loud, booming voice brought Aiden and Brandon's attention to the center stage. Standing in the middle of the stage was a woman, with very light, curly brown hair ending right above her shoulders. She had cerulean blue eyes and a charming smile, with a beauty mark on the right side of her face.

"My name is Lilian Meridian, and I'll be your MC for this Contest!" She introduced herself to the cheering audience.

"Wow, she's super gorgeous!" Brandon yelped, his cheeks reddening at the mere thought of the beautiful woman.

"Yeah, and super out of your league," Aiden muttered.

"As always, we have our esteemed panel of judges here!" Lilian waved her hand in front of the three podiums, with a judge sitting behind each one. "First, we have Mr. Contesta, our Contest coordinator!"

The crowd cheered for him, as Lilian continued, "next, we have Mr. Sukizo, president of the Pokémon Fan Club!"

"Remarkable!" Mr. Sukizo exclaimed, causing the crowd even more excitement.

"I've never heard that guy say anything other than remarkable," Brandon chuckled lowly.

"And, finally, our third judge, Sunfire Town's own Nurse Joy!" Lilian introduced the familiar looking Nurse.

"Beautiful!" Brandon shrieked.

"You're so weird!" Aiden hit the slightly older boy over the head.

"Now, let's get this Contest underway!" Lilian turned back to the audience, who applauded loudly.

Aiden and Brandon were unfamiliar with the first 8 contestants, but they enjoyed the appeals none the less. When it came up to contestant #8, the boys were pleased to finally hear the name of someone they actually knew: Clarisse.

The platinum blonde girl stepped out onto the stage, her hazel eyes twinkling as she held up a poke ball encased in a light blue capsule that made the top of the sphere appear purple. A music note seal was stuck to the top front of the capsule.

"Here we go," Clarisse beamed. Throwing the poke ball up in the air, she called, "Espeon! Time to shine!"

A burst of orange eighth notes gathered in the air, bursting to reveal Clarisse's partner Pokémon. The lavender eeveelotuion landed skillfully on her feet, letting out an airy "espy!"

"Espeon, use swift!" Clarisse ordered.

Espeon opened her mouth and shot out a flurry of yellow stars, which swirled around her elegant body like a tornado.

"Slow it down with confusion!" Clarisse commanded.

Espeon's body and eyes began to glow purple, a much brighter hue than that of her fur. The spell of stars around her became outlined in the same purple light and slowed to a halt, simply glowing in mid air.

"Excellent work, Espeon," Clarisse commended her partner. "Let's finish this up. Psybeam!"

The red gem on Espeon's forehead began to glow brightly. Once it was fully powered up, Espeon tilted her head back and, from the gem, shot off a multicolored beam straight into the air. The confusion encircled stars seemed to be attracted to the beam, as they flew towards the attack like a magnet, surrounding the psybeam and covering it up. Espeon managed to give the psybeam more power, causing the stars surrounding it to explode into nothing more than rainbow colored sparkles. As they fell, Espeon lowered her head so she was once again staring down the audience, her body being showered by the bright sparkles.

The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping as both Clarisse and Espeon took a bow.

"Wow…" Aiden blinked. "She's…amazing."

"Clarisse?" Brandon smirked.

"Huh?" Aiden looked at his best friend. "I meant Espeon. But Clarisse is pretty good too!"

At this, Brandon nearly fell on the floor.

"A wonderful performance by Clarisse and her Espeon!" Lilian announced. "Let's see what the judges thought about it!"

The screens in front of Contesta, Sukizo, and Nurse Joy's podiums lit up with their scores: 9.0, 9.5, and 9.0 respectively.

"27.5!" Lilian's voice boomed. "That's our highest score of the day!"

Clarisse and Espeon hurried backstage, with the eon Pokémon jumping right into her trainer's arms, who giggled in response.

"Oh, Espeon, you were _incredible!" _Clarisse squealed. "That was your best appeal _ever! _I am so proud of you!"

"Clarisse!"

The blonde looked up and found Michelle running towards her, a huge smile on her pretty, young face.

"You were amazing!" Michelle clasped her hands together. "Well…you _and _Espeon!" Michelle giggled after her modification.

"Thanks!" Clarisse's eyes were shining. "And I'm sure you'll do just as well! Do you know what seal you're going to use?"

"I think…this one," Michelle held her hand out to show Clarisse the seal she had selected. Sitting in the center of her palm was a pink heart seal. "It'll go well with Pichu's charm attack."

"I agree!" Clarisse nodded. She saw Pichu still sitting on her trainer's shoulder, looking quite cheerful. "But you should probably get Pichu in her poke ball."

"Pi?!" Pichu seemed alarmed by this.

"Oh…right…" Michelle bit her lip.

"You'll be fine," Clarisse smiled at the girl. "I promise!"

As the blonde haired girl skipped away, Michelle took Pichu off of her shoulder and held the baby Pokémon in both of her hands.

"Pi?" Pichu tilted her head to the side.

"Pichu, listen, you have to go in your poke ball," Michelle frowned as she said it.

"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu argued.

"I know you don't like it in there, but that's how you have to enter the Contest stage," Michelle continued, a sympathetic look on her face. "It'll only be for a few minutes, okay?"

"Pi pi pi!" Pichu was practically screaming, throwing a fit like a little kid.

"Pichu, please!" Michelle begged. "If you go inside your poke ball, I'll give you a special treat later."

"Pi?" Pichu huffed, her beady black eyes narrowed in frustration.

"I'll give you an _entire _apple," Michelle offered, knowing how fond the baby Pokémon was of the fruit.

"Pi? Pi…Pichu pi," Pichu finally agreed, nodding her little head so her ears bobbed back and forth.

"Great, thanks cutie!" Michelle gave her partner Pokémon a tight hug.

"Next, here's entry number 13, Gemma!"

The sound of Lilian's booming voice caught Michelle's attention and caused her to look up at the television screen which broadcasted the Contest to those who were waiting backstage. Now on the stage was a girl with bright blue hair tied up in a ponytail and sporting a purple dress and a masquerade mask.

"Nidoran, let's show them our star power!" The girl tossed her capsuled poke ball.

A shower of stars burst from the sphere, eventually bursting into a flurry of gold sparkles to reveal the small blue Pokémon.

"Ni!" She cried, looking up into the audience with an air of confusion.

"Nidoran, use poison sting!" Gemma commanded.

"Ni?" Nidoran looked back at her trainer, blinking her big, red eyes.

"Nidoran, do it!" Gemma hissed.

"Ni…" Nidoran fired off the bright white spikes, sending them floating in the air.

"Excellent!" Gemma clapped her hands together. "Now, use scratch!"

As the needles fell, Nidoran held her claws out and scratched the attack, causing them to burst into white sparkles.

"Not too bad," Gemma smirked, "finish this off with toxic spikes, dear!"

Nidoran fully turned around this time and let out a tiny squeak, her ears flicking back and forth.

"What is she doing?" Sneasel raised an eyebrow.

"Of course," Jason buried his face in his hands. "Nidoran doesn't _know _toxic spikes!"

"How could Jewel not know that?!" Sneasel looked like he was going to lose it.

"Nidoran, why aren't you doing what I ask?!" Gemma cried.

"Ni…ni…" Nidoran's ears fell.

"Oh dear…" Lilian rubbed the back of her head. "Well…let's see what the judges thought about Gemma's performance…"

Contesta, Sukizo, and Nurse Joy each gave out the same score: a 5.0.

"A 15.0 for Gemma," Lilian announced. "Better luck next time!"

"What?!" Gemma fumed, gathering her Nidoran in her arms and huffing, "the nerve of these people! They wouldn't know a good appeal if it bit them in the face! Come along, Nidoran, you and I are too good for this place."

As she walked back behind the stage, Jewel, still disguised as Gemma, brushed past Michelle, who was now looking more nervous than before.

_I really hope I don't mess up like that, _Michelle thought dully to herself.

**XXX**

There were only two other contestants in between "Gemma" and Michelle, but for the first time Contest participant, it felt like an eternity.

"Show time," Michelle murmured, holding Pichu's poke ball out in front of the pouting electric type. "Sorry, Pichu, but you'll be out in just a second!"

A ray of red light emerged from the sphere, illuminating Pichu's small frame and sucking her into the ball. Sighing, Michelle encased the poke ball in its capsule and stuck the heart shaped seal on the front, holding the ball against her own heart as she stepped right behind the curtain and closed her eyes.

"Last, but certainly not least, we have contestant number 16, and that's Michelle Ketchum!"

The curtain broke apart, but even before it did, Michelle could hear loud murmurs rise from the crowd from behind the thick velvet screen. She knew why they were all talking amongst themselves, staring down at her seemingly small figure with looks of shock and even amazement.

_It's just because of my name, that's all, _Michelle silently assured herself. _But I'm going to show them that I'm not Dad, and I'm not Mom. I'm my own person, and that's that._

Gripping the poke ball more tightly, Michelle tossed it up in the air and cried, "Pichu! Curtain call!"

The poke ball opened up, the seal that had been stuck on its capsule emitting a swirling display of tiny pink hearts. They all scattered to the sides, revealing Pichu in the middle, who still looked slightly terrified from being stuck in the "ball of evil." Despite the look of slight fear, Pichu managed to perform a small flip before landing on all fours, uttering a soft, "chu!" as she landed.

"Wow, Michelle actually managed to get Pichu into her poke ball," Aiden muttered.

"I'm sure there was some bribery involved," Brandon smirked.

"Alright, Pichu, let's get the show started!" Michelle giggled softly, just once. "Use charm!"

Pichu stood up on her hind legs and held her paws to her mouth, blowing a kiss that sent out a flurry of pink hearts. They swirled around the Pokémon's small body like a calm tornado, with Pichu looking up to watch them fly.

"Nice work, Pichu!" Michelle complimented her partner. "But we're not done yet. Use thundershock!"

"Pichu!" Pichu began to charge up, her body glowing a light shade of yellow as the electricity built up in her cheeks.

"Incredible!" Lilian awed. "Pichu is building up all of her electric energy to create a magnificent glow that shows off her beautiful coat!"

"Do it!" Michelle ordered.

"Chu!" Pichu unleashed the attack, which came out stronger than usual due to the fact that it had been charged up. The electric strikes found their way to the hearts fluttering around Pichu, making contact with the pretty pink shapes and causing them to glow brilliantly, just as it had done to Pichu's fur.

"Almost done," Michelle smirked. "Pichu, use charm one last time!"

Pichu once again blew a kiss, but this time, spun on her toes as she did so. The hearts surrounded her body, and with a flick of the paws and tail, Pichu sent the attack flying in every direction, causing them to collide with the glowing hearts floating in the air. The clashing hearts all burst, forming a magnificent, pink hued aurora curtain around Pichu, with tiny yellow sparkles glittering the translucent screen.

"Unbelievable!" Lilian gasped. "Pichu and Michelle finish off their appeal with a dazzling pink tinge! What a great show!"

The crowd applauded, causing Michelle to laugh and blush as she rubbed the back of her neck. "Wow, I guess they liked it!"

"Michelle did great!" Aiden beamed, a proud feeling surging through his body as he looked down at his sister.

"Yeah, but let's see what the judges have to say about her appeal," Brandon added.

Contesta, Sukizo, and Nurse Joy, who had all been looking down at their podiums, had now raised their eyes to Michelle, smiling gleefully at the young girl as their scores appeared on the lighted boards in front of their platforms: 8.0, 8.0, and 8.0.

"A 24.0!" Lilian announced. "Not a bad score for a first try!"

"Pi?" Pichu looked up at Michelle, confused as far as what to do next.

"Pichu, come here!" Michelle beckoned sweetly to her partner. The little yellow Pokémon ran up to her trainer, tail bobbing as she smiled. "You were amazing!" Michelle lifted Pichu into her arms and hugged the young Pokémon. "I am so proud of you!"

"Pi! Chu!" Pichu cheered along with her trainer. Pichu still wasn't entirely sure of what she had done, but she _did _know that she loved getting hugs!

**XXX**

"I'm so nervous."

"Why?" Aiden raised an eyebrow as he glanced at his anxious sister. "Your appeal was awesome!"

"Maybe…" Michelle sighed.

"What do you mean _maybe?_" Aiden rolled his eyes. "You got a 24.0! That's only 6 points away from perfect."

"But how do I know if that's good enough to get me into the battle rounds?" Michelle huffed. "So many of the coordinators here did amazing. Maybe the judges liked them better than they liked me."

"Don't say that, Michelle," Brandon patted the girl's shoulder. "You'll be just fine!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your patience!" Lilian's voice caused everyone to look up at the monitor, where the Contest hostess had now appeared. "Our judges have narrowed the competition down to 8, so let's see who's moving on to the quarter finals!"

Michelle watched, biting her lip as the pictures of the passing coordinators were revealed. Clarisse's picture was the third revealed, which gave Michelle a sense of relief. Clarisse was her new friend, after all, so Michelle wanted to see Clarisse do well. She started to get nervous, however, when her picture wasn't being shown.

Just when Michelle thought all hope was lost, the eighth and final picture was revealed, and it was none other than her own face smiling back at her.

"I did it!" Michelle beamed, jumping up from the bench that she had been sitting and fretting on.

"Pi, pichu!" Pichu ran in circles around Michelle's feet.

"Great work, Michelle!" Brandon complimented the young coordinator.

"Yeah, I told you it'd be fine!" Aiden folded his arms across his chest. "You should listen to me more often!"

"As if," Michelle smirked teasingly.

"Hey, Michelle!"

The red head whipped around and grinned when she found that it was Clarisse running towards her and yelling her name out.

"Clarisse!" Michelle greeted cheerfully. "Congrats on making it to the battle rounds!"

"Thanks, you too!" Clarisse giggled. "I knew you would after your appeal. It was gorgeous!"

"Aw, thank you," Michelle blushed.

"Let's see the match ups for our eight finalists," Lilian's voice came through the monitor once again. This caught Michelle and Clarisse's attention, as both girls now stared intently at the video board, waiting to see who would be their quarter final opponents.

The pictures were all mixed up as the battle match ups were generated. When they settled back into place, Michelle found that she was battling an older looking boy by the name of Carter. Clarisse, meanwhile, was matched up against another young girl named Jane.

"My battle is first," Michelle murmured. Beaming, she continued, "Well, that's much better than having to wait _forever _like I did with my appeal!"

"Good luck!" Clarisse smiled at the girl. "Since my battle is second to last, I'll stay back here and watch yours!"

"And we'll go back to our seats now so we don't miss the battle," Brandon smirked. "Good luck, Michelle!"

"Thanks, you guys!" Michelle clenched her fingers into a determined fist. "I'll do my best!"

**XXX**

"GAH! HOW COULD THEY HAVE NOT ADVANCED ME TO THE SECOND ROUND?!"

Jason and Sneasel covered their eyes and peaked through their fingers as Jewel, still completely outfitted in her Gemma disguise, went on a rampage in the lobby of the Contest Hall.

"Because, Jewelley, you told Nidoran to use an attack that she doesn't know," Jason timidly deadpanned.

"And what was wrong with the _rest of it?!_" Jewel demanded.

"Nothing!" Jason and Sneasel both replied hurriedly, not wanting to feel the wrath of their female teammate.

"I'm bored of this, for now," Jewel huffed, whipping off her Butterfree mask. "I couldn't humiliate the bratette…this time. Come on, we're going to figure out a new plan to nab that dumb little overpowered Pichu of hers."

As Jewel stormed out of the Contest Hall, Jason and Sneasel exchanged defeated glances.

"Will she _ever _give up on this?" Sneasel asked.

"No," Jason sighed. "I don't think that's very likely…"

**XXX**

Back inside, Michelle was preparing to face off against Carter for her quarter final battle. Pichu, who was sitting on Michelle's shoulder as they walked back out onto the stage, was quite happy that she didn't have to be stuffed back into her poke ball, so Michelle already figured she had an advantage.

"Alright, Pichu, get back out there!" Michelle ordered.

"Pi!" Pichu jumped off of Michelle's shoulder and landed on all fours on the battle field.

"Alright, Wigglytuff, let's go!" Carter tossed his own poke ball, revealing the balloon Pokémon.

"With five minutes on the clock, let the Contest battle begin!" Lilian called.

"Wigglytuff, use blizzard!" Carter demanded.

"Wiggly!" The pink Pokémon opened her mouth and unleashed a blast of cold wind and snow. It hit Pichu before Michelle could even consider a move, causing the baby Pokémon to cry out in pain as the cold overtook her.

"Pichu!" Michelle cried, seeing her points diminish out of the corner of her eye. "Alright, you'll be fine. Use thundershock!"

"Pi!" Pichu unleashed her electricity.

"Dodge it, Wigglytuff!" Carter commanded.

The balloon Pokémon jumped out of the way effortlessly, causing Michelle to lose more of her points. Gritting her teeth, Michelle watched as Pichu stumbled back, feeling the recoil from the thundershock attack.

"Michelle's gotta' do something, and fast," Brandon noted.

"Pichu, charm! Let's go!" Michelle ordered.

Pichu blew her kiss, sending out the shower of pink hearts. Carter and Wigglytuff did not seem deterred, however.

"Wigglytuff, use shadow ball to destroy charm!" Carter called without a second thought.

A dark purple, nearly black, ball of energy was formed between Wigglytuff's stubby arms, which it easily sent flying out towards Pichu.

"Pichu, stop attacking and dodge it!" Michelle cried.

Pichu heard her trainer too late, however, and was quickly taken down by the shadow ball. Michelle lost even more of her points, while Carter still had all of his.

_What am I going to do? _Michelle thought begrudgingly.

"Wigglytuff, flamethrower!" Carter called.

"I don't think so!" Michelle bit. "Pichu, dodge that now!"

The shot of fire charged towards Pichu, but this time she jumped out of the way, spinning high above the row of flames.

"What?!" Carter gasped.

"Yes!" Michelle cheered. "Pichu, thundershock, now!"

"Pi…CHU!" Pichu fired off her electricity, which made direct contact with Wigglytuff this time.

"Alright, Michelle's fighting back!" Aiden grinned.

"She's finally calmed herself down," Brandon added.

"One minute left on the clock!" Lilian warned.

"I'm just warming up," Michelle scoffed. "Charm, Pichu!"

Pichu went about her business of blowing heart filled kisses towards Wigglytuff.

"Oh, not that again," Carter narrowed his eyes. "Wigglytuff, dodge it and then use solar beam!"

Floating out of the way of Pichu's charm attack, Wigglytuff held its arms up as the tuft of fur on the top of its head began to sparkle and glow. Narrowing its eyes, Wigglytuff looked right at Pichu before unleashing its powerful grass type attack, sending Pichu flying into the wall behind Michelle.

"Pichu!" Michelle cried out worriedly.

The baby mouse Pokémon slid down to the floor, moaning in obvious pain.

"Can you get up?" Michelle asked hopefully.

Pichu tried getting back on her feet, but it was no use. As soon as she was up, she fell right back down, her ears twitching a few times as she laid helplessly on her back.

"Oh, Pichu!" Michelle ran over to her defeated Pokémon, gathering the little electric type in her arms. "Are you okay?"

"Pi…pi…" Pichu quietly affirmed, her eyes only half open. Michelle noted that Pichu was covered in scratches and cuts, her fur scuffed and matted.

"You tried really hard, Pichu, and I'm proud of you," Michelle smiled sadly at her partner Pokémon.

Standing up, Michelle walked to the center of the battlefield and shook hands with Carter, congratulating him on the win before slinking backstage, frowning down at her injured Pichu. She was quickly met up with by Clarisse, who looked regretful.

"I'm sorry, Michelle," Clarisse piped up. "But that was pretty good for your first ever battle!"

"Yeah…" Michelle sighed. "I guess Pichu and I will just have to do better next time."

"Don't worry about it, there are plenty more Contests to be had!" Clarisse smiled encouragingly at the red head.

Finally, Michelle smiled and nodded. Clarisse was right. This was hardly the end for her. It was, after all, only her first Contest. Michelle would improve over time, and eventually, she would win the five ribbons that she needed to enter the Grand Festival.

"Now it's my turn to watch you," Michelle beamed at the blonde. "Get out there and win!"

"I will," Clarisse gave Michelle a determined look. "You can count on that!"

**XXX**

After leaving Pichu with Nurse Joy to be healed, and changing out of her Contest dress, Michelle sat up in the stands with Aiden and Brandon, watching the rest of the Contest with a transfixed demeanor.

And as soon as the quarterfinals were over, it was blatantly obvious that Clarisse completely _owned _the Sunfire Town Contest.

Using her Vulpix, Clarisse didn't even give Jane and her Psyduck a chance to win in the quarterfinals. The semi finals were a little bit closer, but Clarisse still easily took down a coordinator named Landon and his Makuhita.

The finals came down between Clarisse and Carter, which didn't surprise Michelle at all.

"Carter is a really strong Coordinator," Michelle informed Aiden and Brandon. "Truth be told, I was surprised I even got in _that _many attacks against him."

"You have to be more confident, Michelle," Brandon instructed the girl. "You and Pichu have so much potential! But to access it, you have to believe in yourself."

"That sounds like advice that my Dad would give me," Michelle giggled. "Guess you're right, Brandon!"

"Pichu should also probably learn another move," Aiden suggested. "She only knows those two, after all. It would help a lot for her to know a third attack."

Michelle nodded wordlessly. She'd been giving that a lot of thought, and knew that Pichu's two attack move set was probably a setback for the both of them. She would have to teach Pichu a new move, she just didn't know which one. Or how, for that matter…

"Vulpix, use ember!"

Michelle looked up at the stage, where the battle between Clarisse and Carter for the Sunfire Town ribbon was firmly underway.

"Wigglytuff, use shadow ball!" Carter demanded.

"One minute left!" Lilian's clearly excited voice announced.

"They're neck at neck!" Brandon exclaimed.

"Yeah, this is a great battle!" Aiden beamed.

Michelle watched the rest of the battle intently, her eyes darting back and forth between Vulpix and Wigglytuff as their battle raged on. After a minute, Lilian's call of, "time's up!" stopped the Pokémon dead in their tracks.

"So…who won?" Aiden blinked.

Everyone glanced up at the score board to check the points of both Clarisse and Carter. They still looked definitively close.

"And, the winner of the Sunfire Town Pokémon Contest is…" Lilian took a break before announcing the winner in a bold voice, "Clarisse and her Vulpix!"

"We did it!" Clarisse cheered, Vulpix running into her arms.

Michelle continued to watch on as Clarisse was rewarded with the Sunfire Town ribbon: a bright orange in color with a red and yellow border, and a gold sun shaped charm in the center.

"So that's Clarisse's third ribbon," Aiden recalled the day before, when Clarisse had shown them her ribbon case.

"She only needs two more to get to the Grand Festival!" Brandon added.

Michelle kept her eyes locked on the proud Clarisse. That would be her, eventually. Michelle knew it! She'd be just as good as her newfound rival.

* * *

**So, Michelle loses in her first Contest. But, no big deal, there'll be plenty more for her to compete in! And, she found her first rival as well :)**

**Remember to leave a review and let me know what you're all thinking so far, especially of Michelle's first Contest!**


	11. The House of Flames!

**Hey, guys! New week, new chapter! Ready to get to it?**

**Last time: Michelle participated in her first ever Contest. Using her Pichu, Michelle managed to make it past the appeals round, along with her newfound rival, Clarisse. Team Rocket's own Jewel, who had disguised herself as a girl named Gemma, failed to make it past the appeals round after ordering Nidoran to use an attack she didn't know. Unfortunately for Michelle, both an appeal _and_ a battle were too much for Pichu's young body, bringing the new coordinator her first ever loss. After Michelle is ousted, Clarisse goes on to win the entire Contest, bringing her ribbon count up to 3. Will Michelle get closer to her new rival anytime soon?**

* * *

**Chapter 11: The House of Flames!**

"Alright, Brandon, where's our next stop?"

"By that, you mean where's the next gym," Michelle huffed.

"Basically," Aiden shrugged. He wasn't going to put up a fight when he knew it was completely true.

"Well, according to the map," Brandon was studying his poke gear, "the next gym is in Vermillion City."

"Great, to Vermillion City we go!" Aiden cheered.

"Brandon," Michelle piped up, "by any chance do you know where the next Pokémon Contest happens to be?"

"I could check it out," Brandon pressed a few buttons on the screen of his poke gear. "It seems that the nearest Pokémon Contest to where we are now is in Porta Vista, which is located right between-"

"Vermillion City and Lavender Town," Michelle interrupted, finishing the future breeder's sentence for him.

"How did you know that?" Brandon raised an eyebrow.

"My Grandparents have a vacation home in Porta Vista," Michelle giggled. "I've been going there since I was just a baby! I love Porta Vista. How exciting that there's a Contest there! I bet it's on the beach!"

"And a beach means beautiful girls in bathing suits!" Brandon agreed brightly.

"Oh boy," Aiden muttered, "I hope I never end up like that…"

"Watch out!"

The trio looked up and found a flamethrower attack barreling straight towards them. Gasping, they all jumped down to the concrete in order to avoid being hit by the attack.

"Man, that was a close one!" Aiden's eyes widened.

"Where in the world did _that _come from?!" Michelle sat up on her knees.

A flash of yellow ran past the group, not showing any signs of slowing down. Pichu twitched her ears at this, but said nothing and made no other movement. Not long after the mysterious yellow flash made its way past the group, a large, burnt orange furred Pokémon and a teenage girl appeared, stopping in front of the three young trainers who remained sitting on the sidewalk.

"I'm terribly sorry about that," the girl apologized quickly, keeping her eyes glancing sideways to watch the yellow flash. Growling quietly, she looked down and ordered, "Camerupt, after it!"

"Cam!" The Pokémon ran in the direction of the flash, further confusing the younger three humans.

"Are you alright?" The girl finally turned her focus onto Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon. She had long, wavy auburn hair that fell down her mid back and amber eyes, with a sprinkling of freckles across her nose and cheekbones.

"Just fine!" Brandon jumped up and grabbed the girl's hands. "But thank you for asking. You're a very kind, beautiful person!"

"Oh…thank you…" the girl blinked.

"May I ask what your name is?" Brandon beamed up at her.

"Bridget," the girl answered.

"Bridget, what a beautiful name for a beautiful girl!" Brandon jumped back up to his full height. "Did I mention that you're beautiful?"

"Alright, Brandon, get off," Michelle sighed, yanking the slightly older boy back by his hair. Giggling, she smiled at Bridget and introduced herself, "hi, I'm Michelle! And this is my partner, Pichu."

"Pi!" Pichu greeted.

"And I'm Aiden," the raven haired boy stood up. "Was that Camerupt yours?"

"Yes, it is," Bridget nodded.

"Did it unleash that flamethrower attack?" Aiden seemed very impressed.

"Yep," Bridget once again confirmed Aiden's inquiry. "But I sort of thought no one was on the sidewalk…my bad! Sometimes I don't think things through. I guess I'm a bit of an air head…heh."

"So, who were you blasting the flamethrower at?" Michelle tilted her head.

"My Numel," Bridget sighed.

"Numel?" Michelle took out her poke ball and searched for the Pokémon.

_Numel, the numb Pokémon. They are very strong, having been used by humans for many years to carry heavy loads, and are numb to any kind of pain. The hump on its back contains magma that burns at a temperature of 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, or 1,200 degrees Celsius. _

"It's so cute!" Michelle giggled.

"Maybe, but that Numel is a big troublemaker," Bridget folded her arms.

"What do you mean?" Aiden blinked.

"Well-"

"Camer! Rupt!"

Bridget, Michelle, and Aiden looked down the sidewalk, where Camerupt was walking back towards them. Trailing behind was Numel, who didn't look upset or angry about being caught. In fact, it looked totally oblivious to anything going on around it.

"Why don't I take you back to my place and explain," Bridget offered. "It's kind of a long story."

**XXX**

_Camerupt, the eruption Pokémon, and the evolved form of Numel. If it becomes angered, the small volcanoes on its back will erupt with hot molten rock. When struck in the face, it will become uncontrollably angry._

"Cool," Aiden chuckled, closing his poke dex after scanning the dual type Pokémon.

The group was now gathered at a table inside of Bridget's home, with Camerupt and Numel eating in the corner of the room.

"That Numel has been a problem ever since it was born," Bridget explained in an exasperated manner. "It has a very naughty nature. We have lots of Numel here on the ranch, but that one is the worst behaved of them all. It's always breaking fences and running off. I just can't understand why."

"Maybe I can help you with that," Brandon offered. "You see, Bridget, I'm training to become the world's best Pokémon breeder, and I'd be more than happy to examine your Numel and figure out why it acts the way it does."

"That would be great, Brandon!" Bridget beamed. "Thank you!"

"Just so you know, that doesn't mean she's going to fall in love with you," Aiden whispered teasingly to his best friend.

"Never hurts to try, man," Brandon patted Aiden's back before standing up to take a look at Numel.

"Bridget, you don't live here all alone, do you?" Michelle was looking around the room, examining the spacious kitchen in which they were sitting.

"Oh, no," Bridget laughed. "I have my parents, and three much younger siblings. But they're all out of town, visiting my Grandparents. Someone needed to stay behind to watch the ranch, so I offered to do it. Usually, my Dad never lets me, but he said I'm getting old enough where he can trust me to do just that."

"That's awesome!" Michelle grinned.

"Except some of the Pokémon are making it difficult," Bridget fretted.

"You have other Pokémon?" Aiden inquired.

"Of course!" Bridget nodded. "They're all in the back. I could show them to you, if you'd like."

"My brother never passes up a chance to look at Pokémon," Michelle smirked. "He's exactly the same as he was when he was five years old."

Leading the three younger trainers outside, Bridget brought them into a large area of grass, bordered by a white farm fence and filled with various Pokémon, all of which shared something in common.

"Hey, these are all fire types!" Brandon noted.

"That's right," Bridget confirmed. "My family and I raise fire type Pokémon!"

"Whoa, check out all the Numel!" Aiden pointed to the far right corner, where a group of 7 or 8 numb Pokémon were gathered and chewing on grass.

"And the Slugma!" Brandon saw the trio of slug Pokémon hanging around nearby.

Michelle's attention, however, was instantly captured by an elegant looking fire type standing alone in the far left corner of the field, looking up at the sky as its fiery mane flowed behind it.

"Wow…" Michelle's eyes shined as she walked towards the almost regal looking creature.

"Michelle, wait!" Bridget called.

The coordinator stopped in her tracks and spun around, shooting Bridget a curious look. "What is it?"

"That Ponyta is very anti social," Bridget explained. "It doesn't get along with any human _or _Pokémon."

"Ponyta…" Michelle reached for her poke dex and scanned the fire type.

_Ponyta, the fire horse Pokémon. Its hooves are ten times harder than diamonds and possess incredibly strong leg muscles that give it great jumping prowess. Its tail and mane are made up of flames, which will burn anyone it doesn't trust._

"It's such a beautiful Pokémon," Michelle breathed. Frowning, she continued, "but why doesn't it like anyone?"

"I've been trying to figure that one out for a long time," Bridget shook her head. "We got that Ponyta when it was just a baby, from my Grandmother. Even then, it was shy and preferred to be off on its own. And every time I tried to get my Ponyta to play with it, it would just run away."

"You have a Ponyta?" Michelle was impressed by this, her eyes sparkling at the thought.

"I _did,_" Bridget giggled. Pulling a poke ball off her belt, she tossed it and called, "come on out, Rapidash!"

A larger horse like Pokémon appeared, the flames emerging from its body much larger, longer, and more extravagant than the ones on Ponyta. In addition to having a larger, more muscular frame and more impressive flames, Rapidash had a horn on its forehead.

"Oh, wow, it's so cool!" Michelle squealed, once again holding out her poke dex.

_Rapidash, the fire horse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Ponyta. They are very agile and competitive, chasing anything that moves in the hopes of racing it. The faster Rapidash runs, the longer its flames appear, while at a full out gallop, the mane sparkles. _

"I just _love _it!" Michelle was practically shrieking.

"So, are Camerupt and Rapidash your two Pokémon?" Aiden asked.

"Yep, they're my partners!" Bridget nodded. "I don't battle very often, so they just help me herd and care for the other Pokémon on the ranch."

Rapidash let out a whinny and trotted over to Ponyta, nudging the smaller horse with her muzzle. Ponyta, in turn, let out a huff of air and turned her head away, clearly wanting nothing to do with her evolved form.

"You were right about Ponyta," Brandon noted.

"Rapidash is always trying to get Ponyta out of her shell, but nothing seems to work," Bridget fretted. "Ponyta just seems bent on refraining from contact with anyone else."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Michelle marched towards Ponyta, putting a smile on her face as she held a hand out towards the fire type.

"Hey there, Ponyta!" Michelle greeted sweetly. "My name's Michelle. It's nice to meet you!"

In response, the fire Pokémon neighed and turned her head the other way. Michelle, however, wasn't deterred.

"Come on, it's alright," Michelle beckoned. "I'm not going to hurt you! I just want to be your friend."

"Michelle is such an idiot," Aiden rolled his eyes.

"I really don't think she is, Aiden…" Brandon shook his head.

Michelle reached out further and gently stroked Ponyta's muzzle. While the fire type flinched at first, she soon relaxed underneath Michelle's touch and opened her eyes to glance sideways at the young coordinator.

"Yeah, see?" Michelle murmured. "I'm alright! You're a very good Pokémon, yeah!"

Ponyta neighed blissfully, enjoying the attention from Michelle.

"Wait…Ponyta actually doesn't mind being pet?" Aiden blinked.

"She usually does," Bridget raised an eyebrow. "But that doesn't seem to be the case with Michelle."

"You have such a pretty mane," Michelle complimented the Pokémon, reaching up for its flames.

"Michelle, be careful!" Bridget warned. "Ponyta's flames will burn you if-"

"Oh, you like being pet, don't you?"

Bridget's eyes widened. Ponyta wasn't burning Michelle! She had never seen that before.

"This is strange," Bridget mused. "Ponyta would've run away by now, usually. But she really seems to be enjoying Michelle's attention!"

Neighing softly, Ponyta walked a circle around Michelle, eyeing the girl the entire time. At this, Michelle laughed and kept her eyes on Ponyta, allowing the fire type to check her out. Pichu, meanwhile, was reaching out towards Ponyta with her little paws, squeaking excitedly as the horse eyed her.

"Pi! Pichu!" Pichu squealed.

"So, Bridget, what do you and your family raise these fire types for?" Brandon asked curiously.

"All kinds of things," Bridget replied. "We usually raise the Numel to be work Pokémon, for people who live on farms and need help with heavy lifting. The Slugma we raise are typically taken in by day care owners who use Slugma's body heat to keep Pokémon eggs warm. Sometimes, we'll get in Charmander eggs or babies that we take care of until they're ready to be taken by the Pokémon Center to give to new trainers. We're also responsible for raising young Growlithe to become police Pokémon that work alongside Officer Jenny."

"I don't see any Growlithe around here," Aiden looked around the field.

"That's where my parents went, to pick up some young Growlithe from my Grandparents," Bridget piped up. "You see, we just finished training a trio of Growlithe for the police. There were actually four we were supposed to raise, but one of them wasn't working out. It was too free spirited, and when a Pokémon doesn't want to become something, we can't force it into doing that job. It wouldn't be right, not to mention the job wouldn't be done as efficiently. So, that one was sort of adopted by my younger brother and sister, Tyson and Nina. They named her Emberly and are training her to be a battler, since that's what she seems to enjoy."

"Wow, how old are your siblings?" Aiden blinked.

"Well, Tyson is 8, and Nina is 5," Bridget tapped her chin. "And my brother Phoenix is just a baby. They're all too young to be trainers, but Tyson wants to become a gym trainer more than anything, and my guess is Emberly will become his partner Pokémon. He wants to specialize in fire types, and become a gym leader."

"Like my Mom!" Aiden beamed.

"Or my Dad," Forrest chuckled.

"Wow, you're the children of gym leaders?" Bridget looked between Aiden and Brandon.

"Yep, my Mom is a water type specialist," Aiden nodded before pointing at Brandon, "and his Dad trains rock type Pokémon!"

"Wait…your Mom is a water type gym leader in the Kanto region?" Bridget seemed to be piecing something together in her head.

"Yeah," Aiden moved his head up and down once again.

"She doesn't happen to be married to the Pokémon Master…does she?"

"Yeah, that's my Dad," Aiden chuckled.

Bridget's eyes were so wide that Aiden slightly feared they would pop out of her head. "I can't believe it! I've been talking to the Pokémon Master's children this whole time! And I haven't even acknowledged it!"

"Really, you don't have to," Aiden laughed nervously.

"What do you mean?" Bridget prompted.

"My sister and I are proud of our Dad, because he always wanted to be the Pokémon Master, ever since he was a little kid," Aiden explained. "But he worked hard for that title, and the only reason we get recognized is because we just so happen to be his kids. We want to work hard towards our own goals, too." Looking over his shoulder at Michelle, who was still petting Ponyta, Aiden continued, "I would much rather be recognized for my own accomplishments, and not the fact that I'm related to someone else who's achieved them. I'm sure my sister feels the same way."

"That makes a lot of sense," Bridget smiled. "It's very admirable of you, Aiden."

"Thanks!" Aiden beamed.

**XXX**

"Look at all of those fire types!"

"They'd make excellent gifts for the boss!"

"Okay, you two," Sneasel sighed, putting his binoculars down. "How are a bunch of fire type Pokémon gonna' help the boss? Care to explain?"

"All of those fire types are trained to do different jobs," Jason explained to the dual type. "So they can assist the boss with all kinds of things!"

"Like…?" Sneasel narrowed his eyes.

"Lifting heavy loads, keeping him warm at night, blah blah blah," Jewel rolled her eyes. "It's good enough! The boss demands that we bring him Pokémon, so why are you questioning it?"

"And we _don't _want to let the boss down," Jason glumly mentioned.

"Alright, fine," Sneasel sighed. "We'll come up with a way to snatch those fire types and give them to the boss."

"Now you're talking," Jewel smirked deviously at the talking Pokémon.

"Why do I get myself into this mess?" Sneasel muttered.

**XXX**

"So, Bridget, what do you usually raise Ponyta to become?" Michelle asked, still stroking the Pokémon.

"Racing Pokémon," Bridget smiled. "Ponyta have to be specially bred in order to become racing Pokémon, because then their muscles are stronger and more powerful for their runs."

"Was this Ponyta bred to be a racer?" Michelle looked at Ponyta, who neighed and nuzzled Michelle's cheek as she giggled.

"Yes, but because she's so timid and unwilling to get anywhere near others, we haven't been able to train her," Bridget frowned. "And she's getting to the age where most Ponyta are sent off to racing trainers. If we don't start training her now, she'll never be able to race."

"Well…Ponyta seems to be comfortable with me," a small smile grew on Michelle's face, "so what if I trained her?"

"You'd be willing to do that?" Bridget blinked.

"Of course!" Michelle grinned. "I love helping Pokémon out in any way I can. I don't want Ponyta to be unable to do what she was born to do. So, since she trusts me, I'll teach her everything she needs to know about being a racing Pokémon!"

"Michelle, you don't know the first thing about race Ponyta," Aiden folded his arms. "How are you going to teach Ponyta how to race?"

"I've watched Ponyta races before, thank you very much," Michelle narrowed her eyes.

"What?!" Aiden sounded incredulous. "When did you ever watch a Ponyta race?"

"Dad used to watch them with me when I was little," Michelle smiled at the memory. "He watched it because he liked to see how strong and well trained all the Ponyta were, but he knew I enjoyed watching it with him because I thought all the Ponyta were cute."

"It shouldn't be a problem," Bridget smiled. "I'll just instruct Michelle on what to do. You and Brandon could even help!"

"But won't Ponyta get nervous again?" Brandon furrowed his brow.

"Not as long as we don't try to train her ourselves," Bridget shook her head. "She won't mind if we just set up obstacles or instruct Michelle on what to do."

"Then I think we should give it a shot," Brandon looked at Aiden. "Training Ponyta might even get her out of her shell!"

"Good point," Aiden agreed. "Let's do it!"

**XXX**

"Okay, Michelle, the first thing you're going to have to do is teach Ponyta how to accelerate."

"Accelerate…okay," Michelle nodded. Raising an eyebrow, she turned to Bridget and asked, "How am I supposed to do that?"

"You're going to want to start by getting on Ponyta's back," Bridget instructed. "She needs to first learn how to do it with someone riding her, because it's added weight. Besides, when she races, it'll involve someone being on her back."

"Uh…okay," Michelle walked over to Ponyta's side, petting the fire horse a few times before climbing up on her back. As she did this, Ponyta neighed in annoyance and flared her fiery mane, giving Michelle's hand a small scorch. "Ouch!"

"Michelle, are you okay?!" Aiden cried as the girl went sliding off the horse.

The girl landed on her feet, gripping her wrist as she studied her palm with a slight look of pain on her face. Sighing, Michelle lowered her scalded hand and replied, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting Ponyta to get all defensive like that. I thought she trusted me."

"She _does_ trust you," Brandon refuted. "But she's not used to someone trying to climb on her back. I think she got a little freaked out when you went to do that."

"Brandon's right," Bridget nodded. "Maybe you should ease your way onto Ponyta's back instead of just trying to jump on."

Sighing, Michelle stroked the back of Ponyta's neck, murmuring, "it's okay, I'm not gonna' hurt you! I'm just trying to help you out, Ponyta. Don't you trust me?"

Ponyta looked back at Michelle, her black eyes shining in the sunlight. Michelle smiled encouragingly at the fire horse Pokémon, hoping it would go back to trusting her. Neighing, Ponyta turned her head back around and flicked her tail just once, waiting for Michelle to climb onto her back.

Nodding, Michelle clambered back on, much more slowly this time. Ponyta's mane flared for a short moment, but this time, Michelle made sure to keep her hands away from it. Once she was fully on, Ponyta's mane calmed down and no longer posed a threat to the young girl, bringing her a decent amount of relief.

"First, have her start off with a trot," Bridget continued her instruction. "That will get her used to the quicker movements she'll have to make."

"Okay…" Michelle patted the side of Ponyta's neck. "Let's go, Ponyta!" The horse whinnied and began to walk about, much more slowly than what was considered to be a trot. Sighing, Michelle leaned down and informed Ponyta, "You have to go a little faster than this."

Surprisingly enough, Ponyta listened, but instead of gradually increasing her pace as Michelle had expected, the fire horse took off like a rocket, zooming around the enclosed field.

"Whoa!" Michelle cried, wrapping her arms around Ponyta's neck.

"Man, look at how _fast_ Ponyta is!" Aiden gaped.

"Pichu pi pichupi," Pichu commented from Brandon's arms.

"I agree, good thing you didn't go along with Michelle for the ride!" Brandon chuckled.

"Unbelievable…" Bridget murmured in disbelief, watching the scene unfold in front of her.

"P…Ponyta, you've gotta' stop!" Michelle ordered the Pokémon.

The fire type didn't seem to be listening to the coordinator on her back, however, as she continued to jet around the field. Michelle just held on for dear life, screwing her eyes shut and silently hoping that something would stop Ponyta from running around like crazy.

Michelle's prayers were seemingly answered when Ponyta skidded to a halt, neighing loudly as she stopped running around. Loosening her grip on the horse's neck, Michelle pulled away and looked down at the ground, wondering what had finally gotten Ponyta to stop.

Standing in front of Ponyta was the naughty Numel, casually eating some grass and acting as if it hadn't done a thing in the world. Ponyta, however, was not going to let this go easily. She let out a high pitched whinny, stomping her hooves as a warning to the numb Pokémon. Numel still didn't react, however, and that was seemingly enough to push Ponyta over the edge.

Backing up a bit, she charged forward and tackled Numel, sending it flying back without so much as a cry of pain.

"Wow, that was a take down attack!" Aiden marveled.

"Num!" Numel jumped up, its eyes narrowed. The fire type's body began to glow a faint brown before it jumped into the air and landed back on the ground, creating an earthquake of sorts that nearly caused Ponyta to fall over.

"And that's magnitude!" Bridget gasped. Looking between Ponyta and Numel, she ordered, "cut it out, you two! Right now!"

Ponyta opened her mouth and unleashed an ember attack, which Numel skillfully rolled out of the way of.

"Oh, this is a disaster!" Bridget wailed. "They're going to destroy the whole ranch!"

"Not if I can help it," Brandon pulled a poke ball off of his belt. "Cranidos, let's go!"

The head butt Pokémon appeared before his trainer, shaking his head out before observing the wild scene in front of him.

"Cranidos, use headbutt on low power, just to stop Numel," Brandon ordered.

"Cran!" Cranidos nodded. He ran in front of Numel with his head down, but not at full force. It was just enough to push the numb Pokémon away from Ponyta and keep him from attacking again.

"Good work, Cranidos!" Brandon complimented his partner Pokémon.

"That was a close one," Aiden sighed.

"Agreed," Michelle rested herself on the back of Ponyta's neck, panting out of fear. "Ponyta, that was…_so _unnecessary."

Ponyta neighed and bent her head down to preen her coat. Cranidos, meanwhile, separated himself from Numel, watching as the fire type looked around in confusion.

"We should put Numel somewhere else while Ponyta is being trained," Aiden suggested. "He's such a troublemaker that he'll probably keep interfering with Ponyta just to entertain himself."

"Not to mention it freaks Ponyta out," Michelle added.

Rubbing his chin, Brandon nodded to himself before speaking up, "_I'll _watch after Numel while you guys train Ponyta."

"Brandon, are you sure?" Michelle didn't sound so certain.

"Yeah, Numel and I will become buddies," Brandon smirked down at the numb Pokémon. "If I want to become a Pokémon breeder, I have to learn to work with all different kinds of Pokémon, even those who have more difficult personalities than others."

"That's true," Michelle seemed much more alleviated by that. "Good thinking, Brandon!"

"Thanks," Brandon smiled before turning to Numel and Cranidos. "Come along, you two. Let's go hang out somewhere while these three teach Ponyta the ins and outs of being a race Pokémon."

"Crai!" Cranidos nodded, turning to Numel to inform the fire type of what they were going to do. Numel looked just as calm as he always had, but let out a delightful cry before following after Cranidos and his trainer.

"There we go," Bridget sighed before beaming at Michelle. "Back to work!"

**XXX**

After about an hour, Ponyta began to catch on to what she was being instructed to do. She would accelerate, make sharp turns, and even jump over small hurdles.

"You're doing awesome!" Michelle complimented the fire type, patting its neck.

"Yeah, Ponyta is catching on much faster than I thought she would," Aiden agreed.

"It's amazing," Bridget murmured. "Michelle has really helped Ponyta to come out of her shell, and so quickly! She's the only person that's ever been able to get along with Ponyta so well."

Neighing, Ponyta began to slow down her run to a trot, before stopping completely. Michelle couldn't understand why the fire horse had stopped, until Ponyta lowered her head to begin munching at the grass.

"Oh, I get it," Michelle giggled, "You're hungry!"

"It makes sense, Ponyta's been working really hard!" Aiden smiled.

"I think you deserve a nice, long break," Michelle agreed, sliding off of Ponyta's back and giving her a few pets before walking back over to Aiden and Bridget. "Riding Ponyta has been so much fun! I haven't been on one since I was a little girl, but even then, I didn't get to have it run around like that! The wind going through my hair feels amazing."

Bridget smiled warmly at Michelle. It was good to see her enjoying her time with Ponyta so much. And the fire horse seemed just as content!

"Well, I'm glad to know that you've enjoyed-"

Bridget's response was cut off by the high pitched cries of various Pokémon. Aiden and Michelle both whipped around to see what was creating the commotion, and were shocked to find a majority of the ranch's fire types caught in a net.

"What the heck is going on?" Aiden narrowed his eyes.

A series of evil cackles caught everyone's attention, leading them to look around in confusion. Scanning up the net, Bridget laid eyes on a Sneasel shaped balloon flying high above the field, the net full of kidnapped Pokémon hanging from the bottom of the basket.

"Hey!" Bridget barked. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Must we explain this every time?" The girl sighed.

"It _is _getting tiresome, isn't it?" The boy agreed.

"Oh no, not these three morons again," Michelle muttered.

"You know them?" Bridget raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Michelle slowly nodded her head, "they're a group of idiots called-"

"EXCUSE me!" Sneasel jumped up in aggravation. "But _we'll _introduce _ourselves, _thank you very much!"

"Listen up, and prepare for us!" Jewel announced.

"Give up now, or we'll make a fuss!" Jason added.

"We're here to start trouble!"

"And surely burst your bubble!"

"Truth and love, we will defy!"

"Like shooting stars, we're sure to fly!"

"Jewel!"

"Jason!"

"Team Rocket, here to succeed!"

"Our great history you soon will read!"

"Sneasel, agreed!"

Michelle groaned and smacked her palm against her face. Aiden, however, was skipping the irritation caused by Team Rocket's reappearance and jumping straight to angry retaliation

"You guys can't just float in here in your dumb balloon and steal other people's Pokémon!" Aiden grabbed a poke ball off of his belt.

"Oh, yeah?" Jewel drawled. "And what's the little baby boy going to do about it?"

"I'll show you!" Aiden growled, tossing the poke ball. "Growlithe, use ember!"

The puppy Pokémon appeared, and, before he could even land on the ground, fired off his signature move at the balloon. It caused the flame burning underneath it to overheat, inflating the balloon to mass proportions and causing it to burst.

Team Rocket cried out as their balloon fell to the ground, the net snapping and freeing all of the Pokémon who had been trapped inside.

"Nice job, Aiden!" Michelle commended her brother.

"Thanks, but that was Growlithe's doing!" Aiden grinned, the puppy Pokémon barking in approval.

"Oh, no you don't!" Jewel jumped to her feet. "You're not going to win that easily!" Taking out her own poke ball, she threw it and yelled, "Nidoran, use poison sting on that dumb dog!"

"You too, Nidoran!" Jason chimed in, adding his own poke ball to the fray.

The pink and blue poison types appeared, firing off a series of glowing white spikes at Aiden's fire type.

"I don't think so!" Michelle lobbed a poke ball of her own. "Butterfree, use gust to blow that poison sting away!"

The dual type Pokémon flapped her wings and easily caused the attack of the two Nidoran to fall listlessly to the ground.

"The bratette totally stopped our attacks right in their tracks!" Jason cried in horror.

Snarling, Jewel's face began to grow a fierce shade of red as she snapped, "I've had it up to _here _with that stupid girl! Nidoran, aim your poison sting at the female brat and get her good!"

The female poison type did just that, alarming everyone on the field, including Jason and Sneasel.

"Jewel, what are you _doing?!_" Sneasel gasped.

Michelle was too scared to move or call a counter attack. Those glowing, poison darts heading right towards her were much too intimidating. Michelle didn't know what to do…

A loud whinny snapped Michelle out of her stupor, and her eyes grew wide in shock. Ponyta had jumped in front of her and was using her own ember attack to kill the poison sting. It worked like a charm, and with that completed, Ponyta narrowed her black eyes and leaned down on all four legs, the flames on her neck and backside flaring out.

"Check it out," Aiden gawked. "Ponyta is protecting Michelle!"

"And she certainly doesn't seem happy with Team Rocket," Bridget added.

"Ponyta…" Michelle murmured in disbelief.

With a gleam going off in her eyes, Ponyta opened her mouth and unleashed a swirling blast of fire, the attack making direct contact with both Team Rocket _and _their Pokémon.

"No way, what move was that?!" Aiden's eyes widened.

"That's fire spin!" Bridget gasped. "I didn't know Ponyta knew that attack! Which means…she must have just learned it!"

"It's gotten a little…hot here, hasn't it?" Jason blew out a puff of smoke.

Jewel pulled out a mirror and, upon seeing her charred figure, screamed in both shock and anger. "Those stupid brats! They've ruined my perfectly good looks! Nidoran, use-"

"Nidoran can't use anything at the moment, Jewel," Sneasel warned.

Growling, Jewel looked down at her Pokémon, ready to snap. When she saw the Pokémon covered in still hot patches, however, she gasped and instead turned her anger onto the devious Pokémon standing beside her.

"What happened to my Nidoran?!" Jewel demanded.

"It got burnt by that fire spin attack!" Sneasel answered quickly.

Crying out in pure frustration, Jewel grabbed Jason by the collar and shook him, ordering, "Get your Zubat out _now! _Attack those dumb brats and their dumb Pokémon! Do it now, now, now!"

"Let go!" Jason wailed, flailing his arms like a crazy person in an attempt to free himself.

"Guys!"

Bridget, Aiden, and Michelle all looked behind themselves, finding Brandon to be running towards them with Cranidos and Numel trailing closely behind.

"Brandon, there you are!" Aiden beamed.

"I can't believe these three are back," Brandon groaned.

"Well, you'd better believe it," Aiden sighed.

"They look pretty burnt up," Brandon snickered. "Who was responsible for that?"

"You're not going to believe it, but…Ponyta was!" Aiden motioned towards the fire horse.

"Really?" Brandon was definitely shocked by this.

"Hey, are you forgetting about us?!" Sneasel shouted.

"Yeah, that's completely rude, even for a bunch of brats!" Jewel added, dropping a visibly shaken Jason to the ground.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," Brandon mock apologized with a completely fake smile. "Let me show you the door! Numel, show Team Rocket how your flame burst is done!"

The numb Pokémon, while remaining totally calm and seemingly emotionless, spit out a stream of fire into the air. The fire rolled itself into a ball and continued barreling straight towards Team Rocket, exploding in front of them into multiple streaks of fire. The numerous blasts created an explosion around the evil trio and their injured Pokémon, sending them high up into the air.

"Those brats really burn me up!" Sneasel whined.

"All I'm feeling is burnt out," Jason sighed.

"Oh, next time we see those three, they'll feel my fire!" Jewel seethed. "I'll make sure of it!"

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Bridget once again turned to Brandon, surprise set in her amber eyes. "Brandon, you got Numel in control of his fire blast?"

"Yeah, Cranidos and I did a little training with him," Brandon nodded. "Not only did it help to burn off some of the hidden, but very plentiful, energy Numel has, but it ended up perfecting his fire blast as well! I think Numel has the potential to be a very strong Pokémon."

Bridget nodded quietly, as if she was thinking about something.

"And Ponyta did great, too!" Aiden added. "She stood up to Team Rocket _and _learned a new move!"

The fire horse turned around to face Michelle, her fiery tail swishing as she neighed softly. The young coordinator just stared at the fire type in awe, her lips trembling slightly.

"Ponyta…" Michelle breathed. "You protected me."

Ponyta nodded and stepped towards the red head, nuzzling her with her nose and letting out short, gentle puffs of air through her noses to tickle Michelle's skin. The girl giggled in delight at this, continuously rubbing Ponyta's neck in a way to thank her.

"Ponyta is very fond of you, Michelle," Bridget informed the younger girl.

"I…suppose so," Michelle smiled sheepishly. "But I know for sure that I'm fond of Ponyta. She's a great Pokémon!" Grinning warmly at the fire horse, Michelle concluded, "I know you'll make a great race Ponyta one day. Whoever gets to be your trainer is very lucky."

Ponyta whinnied quietly, stepping back from Michelle to give her a strange look that Michelle couldn't quite place.

"Michelle…" Bridget walked closer to the aspiring coordinator. "I think Ponyta should go with you on your journey."

"What?!" Michelle whipped around, shocked by Bridget's sudden suggestion.

Laughing gently, Bridget nodded and continued, "Yeah, that's exactly what I think we should do."

"But…you're supposed to raise Ponyta to be a racing Pokémon," Michelle frowned. "I don't want to keep Ponyta from doing what she's supposed to do…or get you in trouble."

"You won't, I promise," Bridget smiled reassuringly at the girl. "I've never seen Ponyta this happy until you showed up. Every day was a challenge with her. She wouldn't listen, or do anything. She'd just stand in a far off corner of the ranch, all by herself. I could tell she wasn't happy, and now I'm convinced she won't be happy with anyone unless it's you. She really trusts you, Michelle."

"Are…you sure?" Michelle's breath caught in her throat.

"Positive," Bridget confirmed.

Beaming, Michelle spun on her toes to face Ponyta, asking, "What do you think? Would you like to come with me and be my Pokémon?"

Without a second of hesitation, Ponyta neighed loudly and happily, nodding her head and lightly charging into Michelle, rubbing her muzzle against the girl's cheek.

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Michelle laughed. Pulling out an empty poke ball, she held it in front of Ponyta and asked, "Are you ready?"

Ponyta nodded once again, and, with a big grin, Michelle tossed the poke ball, accompanying it with a cry of, "let's go, poke ball!"

The sphere sucked Ponyta up in a ray of red light, placing the fire Pokémon inside of the sphere. The red and white ball landed on the grass, shaking for a few seconds before settling on its side and closing with a soft but definitive _click._

Still smiling from ear to ear, Michelle picked up the poke ball and held it against her heart, squealing, "Alright! I caught a Ponyta!"

"Pi, pichupi!" Pichu, who was still sitting atop Michelle's shoulder, allowed her ears to twitch in excitement.

"And Brandon," Bridget next spoke to the aspiring breeder, "I think Numel should go with you."

Everyone gasped at this, including the Pokémon. Brandon didn't say anything, just looking down at Numel and watching as the fire type uncaringly lowered his head to eat some grass off of the field.

"You can't just give us all of your Pokémon, Bridget," Brandon frowned at the girl, his tone reflecting a sense of sympathy.

"I'm not giving them away, I'm giving them the chances that they deserve," Bridget smiled at the boy. "Numel is in a similar position to Ponyta. He's got too much personality to just be stuck on a fenced off field all day. Not to mention, I've known since he was young that Numel was pretty powerful. He wasn't meant to be a farm hand, he was meant to be a battler! So, please, Brandon, won't you take Numel and train him to become strong?"

Brandon once again glanced down at the numb Pokémon, who was still busy eating grass and seemingly ignoring everything that the humans had been saying. Chuckling quietly to himself, Brandon knelt down beside Numel and asked, "What do you think, Numel? Do you want to be trained to battle?"

The fire type finally looked up from his food, locking his eyes on Brandon. Flicking his ears, Numel responded with a calm, "num," before returning to his grass.

"I…guess I'll take that as a yes?" Brandon inquired laughingly.

Removing a vacant poke ball from his belt, Brandon held out the poke ball and called, "Numel, you're coming with me!"

A red light emitted from the center of the sphere, lighting up Numel and bringing him into the sphere. Smiling at the ball, Brandon stood up and held it out towards Cranidos, asking his partner, "What do you think, Cranidos? Numel makes a pretty good friend, right?"

"Cran!" Cranidos nodded.

"I'll give you my poke gear number too," Bridget informed Brandon. "I'd love to know how Ponyta and Numel are doing as their training progresses!"

"Sure, no problem!" Brandon took out his blue and black poke gear.

Michelle, however, had tuned out completely after that. She had a new Pokémon, a super cute and powerful Ponyta.

She'd win her next Contest, for sure!

* * *

**Double capture! I wanted to get one of those in eventually, and I did it pretty early ^^ Brandon needed to do something, don't you guys think? So now he has a Numel, and Michelle has a Ponyta! How exciting :P**

**What did you guys think? Leave me a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter! It helps alot. Thanks, guys! See you all next week!**


	12. Surge of Power

**New chapter's going up a little early this week, guys! 'Cause I'm busy tomorrow. I have a concert at night (which I'm super excited for 'cause I'm meeting the band!) and I just found out I have to go to the doctor in the morning. Sooo no time for me. Not like any of you care, though. It's okay; I wouldn't. But you can still have the chapter a few hours earlier. Yay!**

**Last time: Before leaving Sunfire Town, our three young trainers met a girl named Bridget, who lived on a fire type ranch in town. Her and her family raise fire type Pokemon for different kinds of work, but not all of them are so cooperative, including a naughty Numel and a standoffish Ponyta, who is suppoused to become a race horse. Ponyta, as it turns out, likes Michelle, and is the first human who Ponyta ends up trusting. After fighting off Team Rocket, Bridget decides Ponyta would be better off going with Michelle, and Numel with Brandon. She even gives Brandon her number so she can check up on the Pokemon's progression. With that out of the way, the group continues to make their way towards Aiden's next gym battle: in Vermilion City.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Surge of Power**

"Hey guys, look! It's Vermilion City!"

Brandon was standing at the foot of an overhang, pointing at the medium sized city which was clearly visible from atop the cliff. Aiden ran up next to his best friend and grinned, his eyes shining as he observed the city.

"That's so cool!" Aiden chuckled. Closing his hand into a determined fist, he continued, "and that's where my next gym battle is. I'll get my second badge for sure!"

"Your determination never ceases to amaze me," Brandon snorted.

"Let's go!" Aiden started to march off.

"Hold on!"

His walk, however, was quickly stopped by someone holding him back by the hood. Growling, he turned his head and set a glare on the person halting him, who turned out to be none other than his twin sister.

"Michelle, why do you always have to be _that _person?" Aiden groaned as he shook himself free.

"You can't just run off to your gym battle as soon as we get into a city," Michelle huffed. "Our Pokémon all need to be checked out at the Pokémon Center. Can't you be a responsible trainer?"

"I don't know," Aiden deadpanned, "can you not be such a pain in my neck?"

"Okay, okay, break it up!" Brandon jumped in between the two siblings before anything could break out. "No fighting today."

"You say that _every time _we start to fight," Michelle eyed the aspiring breeder. "Why don't you just tell us to quit fighting for good?"

"Because you two would never do that and we all know it," Brandon answered easily. "Telling you to take it one day at a time just seems more efficient."

"Good point," Michelle nodded.

"Uh…guys?" Aiden questioned, pointing behind him. "City? Can we go?"

"Yeah, sure," Brandon started moving towards the path that led down from the cliff. "We'll stop by the Pokémon Center, and then I guess by the gym if that's where you really want to go."

"Of course it is!" Aiden ran after his best friend. "Why wouldn't it be?"

All Michelle could do was sigh and roll her eyes, following after the boys.

"Pichu?" Pichu questioned her trainer. "Pi?"

"I don't know if I'll ever understand, Pichu," Michelle shook her head.

**XXX**

"I'm hungry."

"Me too."

"Me three."

The not so evil trio that made up Team Rocket was all sitting in the middle of some forest, staring at one another and completely unsure of their next move. All they knew was that they hadn't eaten for at least a day and a half, and it was beginning to take its toll on them.

"There's got to be berries around here somewhere," Jason trudged himself up to his feet and looked around the first in a dejected manner.

"I don't want to eat some measly berries!" Jewel whined.

"Well, it's not like we have a choice!" Jason argued. "We're in the middle of a forest!"

Groaning, Jewel laid herself down on the ground and stared up into the sky. Without food, she would surely die. And not eating couldn't be good for her…her beauty would drain! There were two essentials in jewel's life, and that was her beauty sleep and her beauty meals.

"Veno! Nat!"

Jewel's ears perked as she pushed herself up by her hands, eyes scanning her surroundings.

"What's up with you?" Sneasel asked the girl.

"I heard something," Jewel blinked. "You didn't?"

"No, not a thing," Sneasel shook his head.

Jewel got up onto her feet, peering behind the trees and bushes. She swore she had heard something. And she would find it.

"Jewel, there was no noise," Jason informed his sister.

"Yeah, maybe the hunger is just getting to you," Sneasel shrugged.

"It is not!" Jewel snarled. "I heard something!"

With a definitive huff, Jewel wandered off further into the forest, causing Jason and Sneasel to exchange concerned glances. Not wanting the girl to run off without them and get lost, they followed after her, hoping she would realize she was just being crazy and that there were no noises being made.

Jewel had managed to wander into a small clearing within the forest, looking around for anything that could've been the source of the noise. Unfortunately, she wasn't seeing anything, and she knew she would never hear the end of it from her obnoxious teammates.

"I told you, Jewel!" Jason argued.

"Oh, be quiet!" Jewel snapped. "You can't prove anything."

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a small purple fuzz ball jumped out of a nearby bush, a pecha berry in its stubby little hands.

"Hey, check it out," Sneasel pointed at the small Pokémon. "A Venonat!"

The dual type Pokémon twitched its antennae, staring curiously at the trio standing before it. Smirking, Jewel walked over to Venonat and cooed, "Aw, aren't you just precious?"

"What's she up to?" Jason muttered to Sneasel.

"How should I know?" Sneasel raised an eyebrow.

"Ven?" Venonat questioned.

"Could you be a dear and show me to where you got that fruit?" Jewel pointed at the berry. "It would be so very much appreciated!"

"Veno! Nat!" The dual type nodded and hopped back into the bushes, Jewel following eagerly behind. Jason and Sneasel weren't far behind, and eventually, the trio found themselves in a second clearing, this one filled with trees that were teeming with pecha berries; the same exact fruit that Venonat was holding in its paws.

"Aah!" Jewel shrieked out of happiness. "Venonat is the greatest Pokémon ever!"

"Nat!" Venonat cheered happily.

"I'd like to argue that," Sneasel narrowed his eyes.

"Jewel's got a point," Jason huffed, "I didn't see _you _finding us any food."

"This Pokémon would be _perfect _for our team!" Jewel turned around and informed her two teammates. "It could probably help us find food any time we got lost!"

"Which _is _pretty often," Jason agreed.

Giggling, Jewel turned towards the purple Pokémon and asked, "what do you say, Venonat? Would you like to join Team Rocket?"

"Veno?" Venonat blinked before jumping up and down in excitement. "Veno! Venonat!"

"Excellent!" Jewel pulled out a poke ball and wordlessly threw it at Venonat, who was quickly sucked into the sphere. It only shook back and forth once before clicking closed and sitting still on the dirt. Squealing, Jewel picked up the ball and held it close to her. "Perfect! I got another Pokémon!" Grinning mischievously, she added, "next time we see those brats, they won't know what hit them!"

**XXX**

"Here you three are! Your Pokémon are all healed up!"

"Thanks, Nurse Joy!" Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon simultaneously thanked the Pokémon nurse, taking back their poke balls, or, in Pichu's case, returning to her trainer's shoulder.

"Alright, now that our Pokémon are healed, let's go!" Aiden ran towards the door.

"Aiden, where are you going?" Michelle called after her brother.

"The gym, of course!" Aiden replied without even looking over his shoulders.

Sighing, Michelle found no choice but to follow after the boy, with Brandon right beside her. On their way to the gym, the two trainers who weren't racing for the gym looked around and admired the sights of Vermilion City, especially the big ships that were docked in the city's ever present ports.

"Vermilion Harbor is beautiful!" Michelle gushed. "I bet my Mom would love it."

"I know my Dad and Uncle like to go to Diglett's Cave which is nearby," Brandon added. "Vermilion's attractions are really diverse."

Eventually, the trio stumbled upon a tall, green building that was meant to resemble a warehouse, decorated with flashy lightning bolts on the front and top of the building.

"A little tacky, isn't it?" Michelle muttered.

"Who cares what the building looks like," Aiden scoffed. "I'm here for a gym badge and that's it!"

He stepped in front of the doors and began to bang on them, the sound of his fists crashing against the metal reverberating throughout his whole body.

"Hey, open up!" Aiden called. "I'm here for a gym battle!"

Aiden continued to pound on the doors until they were slowly dragged open, a teenage boy appearing in the small gap that had been created when the doors were pulled apart. He had dark brown hair with a bright blonde streak running through, golden eyes piercing and narrowed at the younger boy standing before him.

"What do _you _want, you little runt?" The boy asked dismissively.

"Didn't you just hear me?" Aiden narrowed his eyes. "A gym battle!"

The older boy looked Aiden up and down, scrutinizing his appearance. After a few moments of deliberation, the teenager burst out into laughter, causing Aiden to furrow his brow in bewilderment.

"Yeah, right!" the older boy snickered. "Like _you _could defeat our gym leader!"

Growling, Aiden puffed his chest out and argued, "Yeah I could! If you think your gym leader is _so _great, then bring me to him! I'm not afraid of some gym leader! I'm not afraid of _anyone!_"

The teenager gave Aiden an incredulous look, but the younger boy refused to back down. He was going to get his gym battle no matter what. No stupid junior trainer was going to stand in his way.

"You really think you're a tough guy, don't you?" The teenager questioned.

"I _know _I am," Aiden bit.

Laughing once again, the teenager stepped aside and informed Aiden, "alright, shrimp. If you want to see our gym leader, I'll let you in. But that isn't a guarantee that you'll get a battle, remember that."

Aiden rolled his eyes and brushed past the teenager, marching his way to the battle field. Michelle and Brandon followed behind, Pichu squeaking quietly but nervously in Michelle's ear.

"Oh, don't be afraid, Pichu," Michelle reassured the young Pokémon. "There's nothing here that's going to hurt you."

"RAI!"

"PICHU!" The little electric type squealed, jumping into Michelle's arms and hiding her face against the young coordinator's chest.

"What was that?" Brandon gasped.

Looking down, Michelle found a small brown Pokémon staring up at her, its eyes narrowed and sparks emerging from the yellow circles on its cheeks.

"That's a Raichu," Michelle breathed, pulling out her pokedex to scan the Pokémon.

_Raichu, the mouse Pokémon, and the evolved form of Pikachu. Raichu tend to be very aggressive, especially if there is too much electricity stored in their body. When searching for electricity, Raichu will raise its tail to gather it from the air or bury their tail in the ground._

"It looks pretty strong," Brandon marveled.

Aiden, however, was paying no attention to the Raichu standing before his sister and best friend. He simply stepped onto the battle field, which was designed to look like a boxing ring. The dim lighting added to that ambience, and for just a split second, Aiden felt intimidated.

"Well, well, look who it is! The babies' baby!"

Aiden whipped around and gasped in shock. Standing before him was the most powerful and menacing man that the young boy had ever seen.

The man had blonde hair with small streaks of grey mixed in, light and sticking up in sharp, almost deadly looking spikes. His eyebrows were thick and permanently furrowed, his eyes as black as midnight. His nose was crooked; it had clearly been broken at least several times. The man's frame was almost all muscle, completely bulked up. The most fearful aspect of this man, however, was his height. He had to be about seven feet tall; he easily towered over Aiden's 10 year old figure.

"Uh…what…who?" Aiden stammered, unable to connect his words into a coherent sentence.

"You're still just a little runt, aren't ya'?" The man smirked. "I told your Mama how to bulk you up!"

"My Mama?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"Ah, I shoulda' known she wouldn't take my advice," the blonde huffed, "it's your Pop I shoulda' gone to. He's pretty strong himself!"

_Yeah, but you look like you could snap him in half no problem, _Aiden thought to himself.

The teenage boy who had previously mocked Aiden stepped into the battle area, clearly confused by the camaraderie that his boss was expressing towards the little raven haired boy.

"Lt. Surge, you _know _this runt?!" The teenage boy was obviously shocked.

"Of course I do, Ryder!" Lt. Surge laughed off the very thought that he didn't. "This right here's the baby of my colleague back in Cerulean City! Ain't he adorable?"

At this, Aiden blushed and grumbled under his breath, "I'm not adorable."

Michelle and Brandon glanced at one another, neither one sure if they should be amused by Aiden's torment, or startled by the man who was doling it out. Lt. Surge was most certainly an intimidating force.

"Rai! Raichu!"

The three young trainers all looked towards the ground as Raichu reappeared, running past them all to stand by Lt. Surge's feet. The mouse smirked and swished its tail back and forth, causing Lt. Surge to let out a booming laugh before kneeling down to pet the brown mouse.

"There you are, Raichu! You must've been out gettin' some exercise, right?"

"Rai!" Raichu nodded.

"Oh, so that Raichu is Lt. Surge's!" Michelle gawked.

"Explains why it's so strong," Brandon commented.

Lt. Surge heard the other two talking amongst themselves, which led him to turn his eyes upwards. Catching sight of Brandon and Michelle, he let out a noise of amusement and got back onto his feet, placing his massive hands on his hips.

"Lookit, the other babies are here, too!" Lt. Surge exclaimed. Looking directly at Michelle, who squeaked fearfully under the man's gaze, Lt. Surge posed, "you're the sister of this little guy right here, ain't ya?"

"Uh…yes, sir," Michelle nodded quickly.

Turning his attention onto Brandon, Lt. Surge quipped, "and you're the baby from Pewter City!"

"Why does he keep calling us babies?" Brandon whispered to Michelle, who was too scared to respond.

Suddenly, Lt. Surge began to laugh loudly and obnoxiously, nearly throwing the three young trainers off their feet. They stared at the big, blonde man, utterly confused and none of them willing to ask what was so funny.

"I didn't even notice!" Lt. Surge finally spoke when his fit of laughter died down. "The little baby girl's got a little baby Pichu to match!"

Michelle blinked and glanced down at Pichu, who was still hiding against her body.

"Pi…Pichu is my partner," Michelle stammered.

"A weak little thing," Lt. Surge huffed, still chuckling under his breath. "I guess you didn't learn nothing from your Pa, huh?"

"What do you mean?" Michelle raised her voice ever so slightly.

"I remember when he first waltzed in here as a little baby," Lt. Surge guffawed, "and all he had to show for himself was that scrawny little Pikachu! He wouldn't listen to me, so Raichu and I showed him a lesson and beat that little yellow mouse into a pulp!"

As he continued to laugh, something snapped inside of Michelle, and a familiar fire went off in her emerald eyes. "Hey, that's not funny! What are you, a psycho?"

"How many moves does that baby Pokémon of yours know, anyhow?" Lt. Surge completely ignored Michelle's protest.

Michelle opened her mouth to respond smartly, but she couldn't figure out a way to do just that. Grimacing, she pulled her shoulders back and admitted the sad truth, "only two."

"Which are?" Lt. Surge folded his arms.

"Thundershock and charm," Michelle responded just as dully as she had before.

"Just as I thought," Lt. Surge gave a single nod. "Weak."

"Pi!" Pichu spun around and glared at the tall blonde, sparks emitting from the pink circles on her cheeks. Raichu growled in response and let out an even more menacing bout of electricity, instantly quelling Pichu and sending her back cowering into Michelle.

"My Pichu is _not _weak!" Michelle barked. "She's just a baby! She doesn't have to prove anything!"

"Then battle me and prove it," Lt. Surge challenged.

"Fine, I-" Michelle began, but was quickly cut off by Aiden, who had grabbed her by the arm. "Aiden, what the-"

"You can't battle him!" Aiden interrupted in an incredulous tone.

"And why not?" Michelle seethed.

"Because you're a coordinator, and he's not just any ordinary trainer," Aiden answered in a surprisingly calm manner. "He's a gym leader. A freakishly huge and intimidating gym leader. Lt. Surge will crush you _and _Pichu. And he'll probably go running to Mom and brag about it right in her face."

Michelle backed off after this. Aiden, for once, was absolutely right. She often forgot that since her mother was a gym leader, she was well acquainted with all of the other gym leaders, and that they probably would tell her everything about when she and Aiden reached their gyms. And if Misty were to find out that Michelle had been inexorably beat on, it wouldn't be good for _anyone _involved.

"You're right," Michelle sighed.

Turning around, Aiden glared at Lt. Surge and spoke, "if you're going to battle anyone, it'll be me. I'm here for a gym badge, and that's it._ I'm _the one you have to face."

"Told ya, boss, he's a runt," Ryder quipped from behind the gym leader.

"I'll show you who the real runt here is!" Aiden held up a fist. "Now how about you shut up and just watch me battle?!"

Ryder pulled back at Aiden's tone, but all it did for Lt. Surge was bring amusement. Gazing down at the raven haired boy, Lt. Surge decided, "Alright, baby. I'll battle you. Ryder, get Taran and Eva in here to observe the battle! You three babies aren't gonna' learn anything by just standing around and cleaning the place!"

"Uh, yes sir," Ryder nodded, growling as he heard Aiden snickering.

"See, even the little gym assistant gets called "baby"," Aiden looked at his sister and best friend, who laughed softly in response.

Ryder re-appeared fairly quickly with two other junior trainers, one a male with long, dark blonde hair being held back by a black headband, and the other a female with bright blue hair tied up in an unkempt ponytail.

"Taran, you be the referee of this battle," Lt. Surge glanced at the younger blonde boy.

"Yes, sir!" Taran replied without hesitation and situated himself in the center of the battle field.

Lt. Surge took his side of the field, while Aiden stood in the opposite. Michelle and Brandon had situated themselves on a bench against the wall behind Aiden, while Ryder and Eva sat behind their gym leader boss, eyes already intensive.

"This will be a one on one battle," Taran announced. "Whoever's Pokémon is knocked out first is the loser. Are both trainers ready?"

"Ready!" Lt. Surge confirmed.

"Ready!" Aiden chimed.

"Trainers, choose your Pokémon!" Taran called.

Looking down at his partner, Lt. Surge grinned and ordered, "alright, Raichu, get out there!"

"Rai rai!" Raichu nodded, racing out onto the battle field and releasing more sparks.

Aiden, however, was not deterred by this. Showing off his own mischievous grin, Aiden pulled out one of his poke balls and tossed it, yelling, "Growlithe, I choose you!"

The fire puppy Pokémon appeared before his trainer in a burst of blue light, letting out a simple bark before glowering at the electric mouse standing before him.

"Growlithe, good choice!" Michelle commended her brother. "Choosing Squirtle would have been a big mistake. At least fire types aren't weak against electric types!"

"Yeah, but now it comes down to pure strength," Brandon sighed. "And I don't know if Growlithe is as strong as that Raichu, who clearly has a lot of experience."

"Alright," Taran raised his arm in the air, "battle begin!"

"Raichu, thunderbolt!" Lt. Surge ordered.

"Well, he sure isn't wasting any time!" Michelle gasped.

The electric type began to charge up, Aiden taking a mental note as it did. When Raichu finally unleashed the clearly powerful attack, Aiden simply smirked and called, "Growlithe, dodge it!"

The fire type ran out of the way just in the nick of time, the thunderbolt hitting the ground and leaving a small burn mark.

"What?!" Lt. Surge growled.

"Nice try," Aiden narrowed his eyes. "But not good enough! Growlithe, use bite!"

"Growl!" The puppy Pokémon ran forward and brushed against Raichu, opening his mouth and attempting to sink his teeth into the electric type.

"Body slam!" Lt. Surge shouted.

Raichu managed to jump out of the way of Growlithe's attack and land solidly atop the fire type, crushing him into the ground and causing the puppy to let out a clearly pained whimper.

"Growlithe!" Aiden cried.

"Who's laughing now?" Lt. Surge guffawed.

"That looked painful," Brandon winced.

"Growlithe, you can get up, can't you?" Aiden gazed down at his Pokémon. Much to his delight, Growlithe jumped back up fairly quickly, the only signs of damage being some dirty fur and a couple of tiny cuts. "Great! Try dig!"

Growlithe began to claw at the ground that had just been damaged by his body colliding with it. Lt. Surge, however, wasn't just about to let Growlithe get away with his attack.

"Oh no, ya' don't!" Lt. Surge scolded. "Raichu, charge beam!"

Gasping, Michelle leaned forward in her seat and murmured, "What's charge beam?"

A ball of electricity began to form between Raichu's two stubby paws, the Pokémon smirking deviously as its beady black eyes narrowed. Once the sphere had grown to a large enough size, Raichu twisted its body before throwing the ball, which then exploded into a thick beam of electricity and headed straight towards the hole that Growlithe had dug.

"Growlithe, hurry!" Aiden warned.

As the electricity ran through the underground channel, Aiden stood completely still, barely breathing as he waited to see what would happen. Michelle and Brandon were both leaning forward in their seats, although the Pichu sitting in Michelle's lap was still more enamored by the attack that Raichu had just unleashed.

Several feet away from the original hole that Growlithe had dug, Raichu's charge beam exploded up from the ground, forming an entirely new hole. Flying atop the electric attack was Growlithe, who was wincing slightly but didn't seem too badly hurt by the attack.

"It grazed him," Aiden muttered.

"Give up yet, baby?" Lt. Surge smirked.

"Not a chance!" Aiden looked just as smug. "Growlithe, use ember!"

"Growl!" The fire type used his signature move to wash Raichu in a shower of tiny flames. It connected perfectly, with Raichu whining as it tried to shield its face with its paws.

"Enough of that, Raichu!" Lt. Surge scolded. "Mega kick!"

Raichu bolted towards Growlithe and jumped with its foot in the air, connecting with Growlithe's face and knocking the puppy Pokémon backwards.

"Oh no," Michelle winced, while Pichu covered her eyes.

"You're fine, Growlithe!" Aiden yelled hopefully. "Don't give up!"

Grimacing, Growlithe slowly got to his paws, but once he was up, it seemed that there would be no getting him back down. He was strong, or at least strong willed. At this, Aiden grinned. He loved seeing that in a Pokémon.

"Growl," Growlithe looked back at Aiden.

"I believe in you," Aiden nodded with a big grin on his face. "Use dig, one more time!"

Growlithe began to claw into the dirt, this time faster than before. Lt. Surge growled and seemed fairly irritated that he hadn't been able to get the fire type down yet. "Raichu, thunderbolt in the hole!"

Raichu built up his electricity, but couldn't manage to fire it off before Growlithe emerged from a new hole, coming up right beneath Raichu and sending him flying.

"How did Growlithe beat out Raichu's thunderbolt?" Michelle gasped.

"It seems to take Raichu an awfully long time to charge up his electric attacks," Brandon noted. "I wonder why."

Raichu landed back on the battlefield, wincing in pain as his ears twitched. Lt. Surge was seething as he barked, "Raichu, get up! That's an order!"

The electric mouse managed to pull himself up, but just barely. It was obvious that he was tired and pretty worn. At this point in the battle, it was Aiden who had a clear advantage.

"Growlithe, I've got an idea," Aiden grinned at his Pokémon, who looked intrigued. "Run in circles around Raichu!"

Growlithe tilted his head, not quite understanding what Aiden had in mind. None the less, he followed his trainer's orders, charging towards Raichu and dashing around the electric mouse at the fastest pace possible. Raichu followed the fire type with his beady black eyes, quickly becoming flustered by the speed of which Growlithe was going at.

"Raichu, don't get distracted by it!" Lt. Surge barked.

"Rai…rai…" Raichu whimpered.

"Growlithe, use bite!" Aiden called.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Growlithe jumped in front of Raichu and bit the electric type, causing the mouse to cry out in severe pain.

"Raichu!" Lt. Surge yelled.

Raichu staggered backwards, holding onto the spot that Growlithe had sunk his teeth into. The puppy Pokémon looked quite proud of himself, his tail flicking back and forth as he stood strongly on all four paws.

"Raichu, don't give up!" Lt. Surge ordered. "Thunderbolt!"

Raichu tried to power up his thunderbolt, but it just wasn't working. No matter how hard he tried, the electric mouse just couldn't garner enough power to unleash his best attack.

"Time to end this," Aiden grinned. "Growlithe, finish it off with ember!"

The fire Pokémon jumped up in the air and spit out his ember attack, causing it to collide dead on with Raichu and send the electric type down, injured and totally unable to battle.

"What?!" Ryder gasped from behind Lt. Surge.

"Raichu is unable to battle, Growlithe is the winner!" Taran held his right arm out. "Which means the victor is Aiden Ketchum from Cerulean City!"

"Yes!" Aiden cheered. "We did it, Growlithe!"

Barking and wagging his tail, Growlithe ran over to Aiden and began jumping on his hind legs, holding his front paws on Aiden's legs. Laughing, the young trainer gathered the puppy into his arms, hugging the fire type and holding him in the air.

"Argh," Lt. Surge growled quietly, walking over to Raichu and kneeling down next to his longtime partner. "You okay there, Raichu?"

"Rai," Raichu nodded, slowly getting back to his feet. Lt. Surge smiled at the mouse and patted him on the head before getting back to his feet and placing his hands on his hips, beaming at Aiden on the opposite side of the field.

"That battle was pretty electrifyin'!" Lt. Surge declared. "You're the real deal, Aiden."

"Thanks," Aiden replied earnestly. Suddenly, he seemed shocked as he looked back at the electric type gym leader and gawked, "wait, you didn't call me "baby"!"

"Nah, I only call challengers that 'til they beat me in battle," Lt. Surge chuckled. "And you certainly aren't a baby no more!"

"Oh, I see," Aiden raised an eyebrow, "I guess."

Reaching into his pocket, Lt. Surge pulled out a badge that seemed to resemble a sun. Walking over to Aiden, he held out his hand and announced to the boy, "Here's your thunder badge. Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Aiden took the badge and held it in the air so it sparkled in the dim lights of the Vermilion gym.

"Great job, Aiden!" Brandon complimented the slightly younger boy. "Two badges, now!"

"Yep, and it feels awesome!" Aiden grinned. "I couldn't have done it without Growlithe, either."

Growlithe yipped happily and licked Aiden's cheek, causing the boy to chuckle.

"Lt. Surge, sir, may I ask you a question?"

Aiden and Brandon were taken off guard when they realized that Michelle was now standing in front of them, Pichu still in her arms but no longer looking so timid.

"Of course, baby," Lt. Surge smirked, causing Michelle to growl under her breath.

"That attack your Raichu used in battle…charge beam," Michelle raised her eyes so she was staring Lt. Surge straight in his own black orbs, "could you teach it to my Pichu?"

The entire gym went silent. Everyone was staring at Michelle in complete surprise, except for Surge, who simply looked contemplative. Michelle kept a determined expression, while Pichu mimicked that same face. She wanted to learn it just as badly; Pichu wanted to be strong for Michelle. Pichu wanted to be the best battler she could possibly be. She didn't want to be called a baby anymore, even though she still was.

"That's quite a request, baby," Lt. Surge chuckled.

"Your Raichu is amazingly powerful," Michelle stressed, "and I want my Pichu to be just as strong, one day. But…you were right. Pichu won't get any stronger if she only knows two attacks. And that charge beam was incredible! So…please…could you help me teach that attack to Pichu?"

Twisting his mouth, Lt. Surge finally showed off a more compassionate smile as he asked, "you're quite determined, aren't ya'?"

"Yes, sir," Michelle nodded just once.

"Just like your father," Lt. Surge hummed amusedly. "Alright, baby, I'll do it! But I'm warnin' ya', it ain't gonna' be easy!"

"It's no fun if it's easy," Michelle smirked, a glint going off in her emerald eyes.

"Lt. Surge!" Ryder gasped. "You're really gonna' help this kid's Pichu out, just like that?!"

Turning around to face the teenager, Lt. Surge adopted a sterner look. "Ryder, you know it's the job of a gym leader to help trainers. Don't go acting all high and mighty. You know you don't got the right."

Ryder grimaced, but didn't respond. It was obvious enough that he was ticked. This amused Aiden. Ryder had been ticking the boy off since he first answered the door and insulted the younger boy.

"Let's go outside behind the gym," Lt. Surge decided. "There's more room to practice out there." Looking over his shoulder, he called, "Taran, Eva, come outside and observe! Ryder, cool yourself off and come on the double."

"Yes, sir," Ryder grumbled.

* * *

**I like writing Lt. Surge, haha. He's fun to write.**

**So, yeah, I had to cut the chapter. It was getting WAY too long, and if I had kept it that way, it would've been way too monotonous. Since the next part is basically attatched, though, I might put it up later in the week; earlier than Friday. What do you think? You can tell me in a review, that would be super helpful, as almost all of your awesome reviews are :D**

**Until next time, see ya!**


	13. All Charged Up!

**Surprise! New chapter for you guys! Really, because it's just a continuation of last chapter. This one is not really my favorite, by the way, sooo just letting you guys know. It's just easier to put it up now because I'm trying to get ready to leave for college, plus my old laptop is on the verge of death and I'm struggling to adjust to my new one. So, bear with me here!**

**Last time: The group arrived in Vermilion City, with Aiden ready to challenge the gym leader for his second badge. As it turns out, the gym leader, Lt. Surge, is a powerful, scary man who will hold any mistake Aiden makes over his mother's head. With this in mind, Aiden goes into battle with one objective: to win. After realizing that Lt. Surge's Raichu is slow to both move and charge up due to its premature evolution, Aiden takes advantage of Growlithe's speed and earns the Thunder Badge! After the battle, however, Michelle has a special request for Lt. Surge: teach her Pichu charge beam in order to help the baby mouse become more powerful. Lt. Surge agrees, but a certain gym assistant doesn't seem too happy about it...**

* * *

**Chapter 13: All Charged Up!**

"Charge beam's a good move for Pichu to learn," Lt. Surge informed Michelle. "Since the electricity isn't comin' from inside her body, it won't cause any recoil damage."

Michelle nodded, hanging onto every word that came out of Lt. Surge's mouth. He _did _scare her, quite a lot, actually, but his guidance could only help Pichu become a better battler ad stronger Pokémon. Michelle wasn't going to miss that chance just because she was combating some silly nerves.

"What Pichu's gotta' do is form a ball of electricity between her paws," Lt. Surge continued. Looking down at the baby mouse, he addressed her, "watch Raichu, now, baby. You'll see what you gotta' do. Raichu, use charge beam, but do it slowly."

"Rai," Raichu nodded, raising his paws and focusing deeply as a small sphere of electricity formed between the stubby appendages.

"Chu?" Pichu breathed.

"Raichu is focusing all of his electricity in the middle of his body," Lt. Surge explained. "That way, he can form that ball of electricity where the charge beam attack will come from."

"Do you hear that, Pichu?" Michelle knelt down and talked to her little partner. "Focus all of your electricity in the center of your body, and then try to form that ball of energy. Got it?"

"Pi!" Pichu nodded. She placed her paws in front of her, closing her beady black eyes and trying her hardest to gather all of the electricity she could. The power was building up deep inside of her, and after a few moments, a tiny ball of yellow light appeared between her small paws.

"You're doing it, Pichu!" Michelle marveled.

"Excellent!" Lt. Surge boomed. "Now, once you've got the sphere all charged up, Pichu's gotta' thrust her arms forward, which will cause the electricity ball to shoot out a beam of even more powerful electricity! That's what puts the beam in charge beam."

"Can you do that, Pichu?" Michelle asked her Pokémon.

"Pi…pichu…" Pichu muttered, trying to add strength to the sphere of electricity. It started to work, as the ball grew larger and larger until it was almost the size of Pichu's entire body.

"Now, use it!" Lt. Surge ordered.

"Okay," Michelle nodded, "Pichu, use charge beam!"

"Pi…chu!" Pichu threw her arms forward, but there was no beam emitting from the ball. Instead, it was just a few weak sparks, like an electrical outlet shorting out.

"Oh, no," Michelle frowned.

"That ain't uncommon," Lt. Surge chuckled. "She's gotta' practice more, that's all!"

"Pichu, try charge beam again," Michelle calmly ordered.

"Chu," Pichu started to concentrate her electricity, the small sphere of yellow light appearing between her paws once again. It continued to swell until it once again matched Pichu's size.

"Great!" Michelle cheered. "Now…fire it off!"

"Pi…chu!" Pichu thrust her arms forward, but again, only a series of feeble sparks crackled out of the ball.

"You're getting closer," Michelle mused.

Lt. Surge rubbed his chin in thought before raising his index finger in the air and shouting, "hey, I got it!" Looking over his shoulder, he called, "Ryder, why don't you help Michelle and Pichu out with learning this attack, huh?"

Huffing, Ryder looked away and childishly asked, "Why should I?"

"Because you'll never make a good gym leader if you don't listen to me," Lt. Surge answered in a steady, almost haughty voice.

Scowling, Ryder stepped forward and pushed some of his dark brown hair back. Pulling a poke ball off of his belt, he stared down the younger red head and demanded powerfully, "Battle me."

"Battle you?" Michelle repeated.

"That's what I said," Ryder scoffed.

Furrowing her brow, Michelle growled gently before deciding, "Fine, you're on! Let's go, Pichu."

"Pi!" Pichu waved her arms frantically, a determined look on her cute little face.

With a flick of his wrist, Ryder tossed his own poke ball, calling, "alright, Joltik, come on out."

A small, fuzzy, yellow Pokémon appeared before Ryder, jumping up and down as it cried out, "jol! Jol!"

"Whoa, what kind of Pokémon is that?" Aiden's eyes widened as he took out his poke dex.

_Joltik, the attaching Pokémon. The smallest known Pokémon in the world, Joltik cling to larger Pokémon and suck up static electricity to recharge themselves. They can also suck up electricity from household plug sockets._

"Aren't Joltik from Unova?" Brandon wondered aloud.

"How does Ryder have a Pokémon from Unova?" Aiden gawked. "They're so rare around here!"

"That's because Ryder _is _from Unova," Lt. Surge smirked.

"What?!" Brandon and Aiden gasped.

"Eastern Unova, to be exact," Lt. Surge nodded. "You see, I'm friends with Ryder's father. Have been ever since we were in the army together. I saved his life during the war, you know. So he's always said he owed me somethin'. I knew after awhile I'd never have a kid of my own, and his son right here had always showed a lot of promise as a Pokémon trainer, ever since he was a boy. But he's got a bit of an attitude problem, which you've all probably seen by now. I told his father that Ryder would make a great apprentice for me, and an even better future gym leader. But he had to live here with me to get the proper training and learn how to better handle himself and his Pokémon. He's been doing pretty well for himself, but you can see that we've still got a few kinks to work out. He ain't perfect, yet."

"What other Pokémon does Ryder have?" Brandon inquired.

"An Electabuzz and a Galvantula, which is the evolved form of Joltik," Lt. Surge answered. "Joltik is his little baby Pokémon in training. I guess that's why he chose Joltik to battle Pichu. It won't be an unfair battle that way, and Joltik needs some training anyway."

"So…what do Taran and Eva do?" Aiden blinked.

"They're junior trainers of mine as well," Lt. Surge nodded. "But they ain't here to become gym leaders. They're just here because they specialize in electric types, and want to train under the best. Taran is from around here, but Eva is from Johto, since there aren't any good electric type trainers out there. Both are very useful to me, along with Ryder. Not only are they skilled trainers and fast learners, but they make a great cleaning staff for the gym!"

Lt. Surge guffawed rather loudly as Aiden and Brandon sweat dropped. In front of them, the battle between Joltik and Pichu had been raging on, as much as a battle between two such small Pokémon _could _be considered "raging."

Joltik had just used screech, and now Pichu was busy trying to use charge beam once again. She had the sphere of electricity between her paws, nearly at full size. The struggle was apparent on her face, but neither she nor Michelle looked ready to give up.

"I believe in you, Pichu," Michelle murmured to the baby Pokémon before calling loudly, "now, charge beam, let's go!"

"Pi…chu!" Pichu threw her arms forward, and a powerful beam of electricity emerged from the glowing sphere. It hit Joltik so quickly that the dual type Pokémon flew back with a shrill cry, its little legs wiggling desperately as it hit the ground.

"Joltik!" Ryder gasped.

"Pichu, you did it!" Michelle squealed.

"Pi! Pichupi!" Pichu turned around and ran over to Michelle, jumping into her trainer's arms and burying her face against her chest.

Looking down, Michelle saw that Joltik was in obvious pain, and struggling to stand back up. Smiling sympathetically, she turned her glance up on Ryder and decided, "Ryder, let's stop the battle. We can call it a draw."

"What?!" Ryder seemed horrified by such an idea.

"Both of our Pokémon are tired," Michelle reasoned with the brunette boy. "They're young, so they get tired more easily. It was a good match; we can just declare it a draw."

She held her hand out for a handshake, but Ryder turned away from it quite blatantly. Michelle gasped and looked half offended, half infuriated with the boy. Lt. Surge, however, managed to step in before the resilient young girl could get her hands around Ryder's neck.

"Ryder, what kind of an attitude is that to have?" Lt. Surge demanded.

"She's weak!" Ryder argued. "Who just gives up a battle like that?"

"A _smart _trainer!" Lt. Surge bit. Ryder seemed taken off guard by this, but Lt. Surge wasn't about to stop chastising the younger boy now. "Michelle saw that both of your Pokémon were worn out, so she called off the battle. It was smart! You're the stupid boy who would've kept on battling until his Pokémon was halfway towards death! What's wrong with you, kid?"

"Nothing, I'm strong!" Ryder argued.

"You're also not a very bright kid," Lt. Surge folded his arms over his chest.

At this, Ryder growled and tried to storm away, but was stopped by Lt. Surge, who had grabbed the boy by his arm. Looking up, Ryder grimaced and tried to shake himself free, but it was no use. Lt. Surge was just too strong.

"You know, Ryder," Lt. Surge continued, not as fiercely as he'd been before, "you could learn a lot from Aiden and Michelle."

"But they're-"

"Smart," Lt. Surge smirked.

Twisting his mouth, Aiden stepped forward and offered, "hey, Ryder! I'll battle you!"

"I don't want to battle you, runt," Ryder scoffed.

"That's a great idea, Aiden!" Lt. Surge commended the boy.

"What?!" Ryder growled.

"Come on, Ryder, it can't hurt!" Lt. Surge chortled. "A battle can never hurt. All you'll do is learn."

Still scowling, Ryder managed to free himself from the gym leader's hold in order to glare at Aiden, who didn't look at all deterred by the older boy's mean look. "Fine, I'll battle you. But you're going to lose, badly. You're going to pay for beating my gym leader."

"Okay," Aiden shrugged. "Show me what you've got!"

Tearing a poke ball off of his belt, Ryder threw it and yelled, "Electabuzz, let's go!"

Retrieving his own poke ball, Aiden tossed it and countered, "Come on out, Squirtle!"

Brandon gasped while Michelle smacked her forehead. In front of them, Ryder simply cackled, his golden eyes shining with pure mischievousness. "Really? A _water type _against an _electric type? _Something's wrong with your head."

"Type advantage isn't everything," Aiden shrugged, his own smirk gracing his face. "I learned that from my Dad."

"I don't care what you've learned from your Daddy," Ryder bit. "I'm going to run that little Squirtle of yours right into the ground! Electabuzz, thunderpunch!"

The electric Pokémon roared and charged forward, his fist glowing in bright yellow electricity as he moved closer to Squirtle.

"Squirtle, dodge it!" Aiden called.

The water type jumped right over the electric type and bounced off his head, further angering the yellow and black Pokémon along with his trainer.

"Hey!" Ryder barked.

"That was perfectly fair," Aiden smirked. "Squirtle, use bubble!"

Before landing on the ground, Squirtle did a flip and turned on his toes to face Electabuzz's back. Opening his mouth, Squirtle unleashed a steady stream of bubbles, all of which hit Electabuzz before he could even think to turn around.

"Electabuzz!" Ryder cried before growling at Aiden, who was still smirking. "Alright, then. Electabuzz, electro ball!"

A ball of electricity formed in front of Electabuzz's mouth, growing larger until the electric type jumped up and swatted at it with his long tail. The sphere went flying towards Squirtle, who managed to slide on the floor right underneath it.

"What?!" Ryder was seething.

"Awesome job, Squirtle!" Aiden cheered. "Now use tail whip!"

The small blue turtle ran towards the electric type and hit it right in the stomach with his tail, but unfortunately for Squirtle, he was more affected than Electabuzz was.

Stumbling backwards, Squirtle winced as electricity sparked off of his body. Gasping, Aiden's eyes widened as he drew his shoulders back and muttered, "What the heck just happened?"

Ryder began to cackle and narrowed his eyes tauntingly at Aiden. "Wow, did you not know that Electabuzz's ability is static?"

"Static?" Aiden mumbled.

"A Pokémon with the static ability will cause paralysis to the opposing Pokémon if their attack is physical," Ryder explained rather expertly. "Since Squirtle hit Electabuzz with his tail, that means you activated Electabuzz's special ability."

"Oh no," Aiden breathed.

"Aiden is so dead," Michelle sighed.

"Now that Squirtle is unable to move…" Ryder muttered with a smirk. "Electabuzz, use hyper beam!"

Electabuzz opened his mouth and quickly shot off a beam of bright yellow-orange light. Squirtle, being stuck in one place, couldn't dodge, and as a result, was hit head on by the hyper beam.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried worriedly.

The water type was on his back, twitching from both the hyper beam hit _and _the paralysis he was currently experiencing.

"This is bad," Brandon noted. "Not only is Squirtle paralyzed, but that hyper beam attack knocked him right on his back."

"Which means that Squirtle is going to have an awful hard time getting back up," Michelle concluded. "That is, if he even has a chance to…"

"Squirtle, you have to get up!" Aiden called. "Please!"

The water type tried to move his arms and legs, but it was no use. The electricity was still coursing through his body, and he was rendered all but useless.

"This is perfect," Ryder grinned. "Electabuzz, brick break!"

Electabuzz ran towards Squirtle and jumped up in the air, landing with a firm karate chop delivered to the water type's gut.

"Squirt!" Squirtle cried out in pain.

"Squirtle!" Aiden almost wanted to cover his eyes.

"Ryder's already getting more patient," Lt. Surge noted. "He ain't screamin' at his Pokémon like usual!"

"Squirtle, come on, you've gotta' snap out of that paralysis!" Aiden was practically begging.

The tiny turtle rocked helplessly back and forth, trying his hardest to obey Aiden's command. But it was proving to be rather difficult; impossible, almost. Aiden was quickly becoming frustrated, while Ryder was growing more and more confident.

"Why don't we finish this off, Electabuzz?" Ryder asked his Pokémon, who nodded in agreement. Chuckling, Ryder threw his arm out and yelled, "Electabuzz, use thunder punch!"

The electric type charged forward once again, his fist glowing yellow. Squirtle continued to struggle, trying his best to move his arms and legs to get out of the way.

"Squirtle, please!" Aiden cried. "I know you can do it! I believe in you!"

At the very last moment possible, Squirtle managed to move his tail underneath him, using it as a spring to propel his body up in the air. Electabuzz and Ryder both looked up, gasping at the sight, while Aiden was simply overjoyed that Squirtle had managed to get out of the way.

"Alright, Squirtle!" Aiden was laughing cheerfully.

"What?!" Ryder was wide eyed. Not angry…just shocked.

Up in the air, Squirtle managed to curl his body up into a ball before opening up, his arms and legs now moving freely along with his tail.

"Looks like static wore off," Aiden grinned. "Squirtle, use bubble!"

Still in the air, Squirtle used his bubble attack on Electabuzz, the water type move making direct contact with the yellow face of the Pokémon below him.

"Don't let it get to you, Electabuzz!" Ryder shouted. "Use hyper beam!"

Electabuzz did just that, hitting Squirtle as the water type tumbled back down towards the ground. This time, Squirtle landed on his front, beat up and grimacing in pain.

"Squirtle, are you okay?" Aiden frowned.

"Squir…squirtle…" Squirtle tried to stand up, Ryder watching closely the whole time. He could see that Squirtle was clearly struggling and in a lot of pain, but too headstrong to just give up. If the battle continued, Squirtle could become severely injured. And was that really worth winning one lousy battle? A _practice_ one, at that?

"Wait!" Ryder called, catching the attention of both Aiden and Squirtle. "I think we should call this battle."

"What, why?" Aiden was confused.

"I can tell that Squirtle is really worn out," Ryder motioned towards the little blue turtle. "I don't want to hurt him or anything. It was a great match, so let's call it here."

"Oh, okay," Aiden smiled at the older boy before walking over to Squirtle in order to gather the water type in his arms. "You did great, buddy! That jump into the air with your tail was really impressive."

"Squir…" Squirtle mumbled.

"I agree, that was really great!" Ryder was actually _beaming_ at Aiden, which took the younger boy off guard. Approaching Electabuzz, Ryder stroked the Pokémon on the head, complimenting him, "you did awesome as well, Electabuzz! I'm proud of you."

"Electa," Electabuzz rubbed the back of his head in a sheepish manner.

"So, Ryder, did the battle teach ya' anything?" Lt. Surge folded his arms across his chest.

"Yes, sir!" Ryder nodded. "I saw that any Pokémon can have real talent, no matter their size. Sometimes, a type disadvantage doesn't even matter. You could still hold control of the battle."

"And…?" Lt. Surge smirked knowingly.

"That…it's important to be patient," Ryder admitted begrudgingly, a blush forming on his cheeks. "You can't have good control over anything if you don't, especially your Pokémon in a battle."

"I'm proud of you, boy," Lt. Surge nodded. "You've learned well today!"

"And it's all thanks to Aiden," Ryder smiled at the raven haired boy. "Thank you!"

"Ha, no problem!" Aiden grinned back at the teenager. "It was a lot of fun!"

**XXX**

After spending the night at the Vermillion City Pokémon Center, the three young trainers boarded a ferry at Vermillion Port in order to reach their next destination: Porta Vista.

"I'm so excited for my next Contest!" Michelle squealed. "Now that Pichu's learned a new move, I really think we have a great chance of winning!"

"Just remember that Pichu hasn't mastered charge beam yet," Brandon warned the coordinator. "She might not be able to properly utilize it during an appeal or in battle."

"Maybe not, but that's what they invented practice for!" Michelle giggled, looking towards the baby Pokémon that sat on her shoulder. "Right, Pichu?"

"Pi!" Pichu squeaked.

"I'm sure you'll do great, Shelly!" Aiden beamed at his sister.

"Thanks," Michelle giggled airily. "Watching your battles with Lt. Surge and then Ryder really got me all fired up! I'm so excited to get back into Contest mode!"

"And _I'm _happy that I have two gym badges now!" Aiden pulled out his badge case and slid it open, marveling at the two metal badges that shimmered in the mid morning sunlight. "But I still have six more to go. I'll train my hardest!"

"Did you hear about the Pokémon Master's wife?"

"Yeah, I did! I wonder if it's true."

Aiden and Michelle both looked at one another, each one clearly confused by the strangers' conversation.

"They're talking about Mom," Michelle murmured.

"Wonder why?" Aiden blinked.

"It sounds like some kind of rumor," Brandon noted.

"Oh, they're always starting rumors about Mom and Dad," Aiden scoffed. "I'm pretty sure that Michelle and I have heard them all."

"I hope it's not another baby rumor," Michelle sighed. "Those kind of creep me out."

Furrowing his brow, Aiden approached the two young adults and stared up at them inquiring kindly, "excuse me, but what's going on with her?"

The darker haired man smirked and replied, "There's a steady rumor going around that Misty has been offered a spot in the Elite Four!"

"What?!" Aiden gasped.

"Apparently, she's going to take it," the lighter haired man added. "People think she's jealous of her husband, since he _is_ the Pokémon Master, after all. Her being a member of the Elite Four would put her closer in rank to him."

The look on Aiden's face was a cross between shock and disbelief. His _mother? _In the Elite Four?

"Aiden!" Michelle scurried over to her brother, yanking him away from the two older males. "What are they talking about? What's the rumor with Mom?"

"Apparently…" Aiden breathed, "Mom's gonna' become a member of the Elite Four."

"WHAT?!" Michelle and Brandon looked even more shocked than Aiden.

"That's impressive," Brandon murmured.

"Yeah…" Michelle frowned, "but then…what will happen to the gym?"

* * *

**Okay, fine, I liked the END of the chapter. Family drama, it's goin' down ;)**

**So, what do you guys think? Is the rumor true? Is Misty joining the Elite Four? Is she jealous of Ash? You'll find out...next time! In the meanwhile, leave a review, please? :) I'm super stressed right now (I'm surprised I can even find the time to UPLOAD these chapters for now!) and they'll certainly bring a smile to my face ^^ Thank you, lovely readers!**


	14. Not So Elite

**A new chapter for you guys! It's early, I know, but I'm still trying to pack (and I hate packing so this is like pulling teeth) and tomorrow is my sister's marching band show, and I'm leaving on Friday which is when I usually update. So, for this week, we're doing it early again! Next week might be back to normal :P**

**Last time: Aiden and Michelle were asked by Lt. Surge to teach Ryder how to work better with his was a struggle, but eventually, the two young trainers managed to get through to him. Then, while on their way to Porta Vista for Michelle's next contest, the siblings hear a shocking rumour about their mother: she's been offered a spot in the Elite Four. Is it true?!**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Not So Elite**

"It's just a rumor."

"But what if it's true?"

"…I don't know."

Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon were all sitting at an outdoor table at a restaurant located on the coast of Porta Vista's beautiful and expansive beach. Their ferry had just reached the sea town about 45 minutes ago, but Aiden's stomach had been grumbling since before they'd docked, which led to the trio needing an immediate stop for lunch before doing anything else.

They were now waiting for their food, although their Pokémon were all busily eating by their feet. Aiden and Michelle were clearly preoccupied by this newfound rumor about their mother, and Brandon wasn't entirely sure of how to help. He didn't have any famous relatives, save for his Uncle Brock who was famous in a different capacity, so he didn't know how to combat the rumor mill.

"Guys, didn't you say most of the rumors that come out about your parents never turn out to be true?" Brandon finally piped up.

"Yeah," Aiden nodded slowly. "If they were, we'd have about ten other brothers and sisters besides Lizzie right about now."

"And Mom and Dad would have separated and gotten back together at least twice as much," Michelle added.

"So maybe this whole Elite Four thing isn't true either," Brandon offered some peace of mind for his two closest friends. "If the media likes to make up outlandish things about your parents, maybe this one isn't any different."

"Brandon does have a point," Michelle glanced at her brother.

"Those guys sounded so sure, though," Aiden's tone indicated that he was conflicted on the subject. "And they said the reason why was because that Mom is jealous of Dad."

"_Jealous?_" Michelle repeated in the word in a tone that mixed together disbelief and surprise.

"They said that Mom's jealous of Dad being Pokémon Master because, as a gym leader, she holds a lower position in the Pokémon League," Aiden sounded more and more discouraged as he went on.

"I find that a little hard to believe," Brandon raised an eyebrow, intriguing his slightly younger travelling companions. "If your Mom really was _that_ jealous of your Dad's title, wouldn't she have tried to get a better position 10 years ago?"

"That's another great point, Brandon!" Michelle beamed. She would really like to think that wasn't the reason for her mother to be considering a position in the Elite Four…if even _that _was true.

"But maybe 10 years ago she wasn't offered to be in the Elite Four," Aiden continued to add onto his own misery. "It's not like getting a position in the Elite Four is super easy. It's by invitation only, and most of the members stay there for most of their lives."

"That's true, too," Michelle obviously deflated.

Aiden and Michelle were both conflicted. They didn't know whether to believe the rumor or not. They thought after all these years of dealing with such frivolous nonsense, that it would become easier to differentiate between the real and the false. But it wasn't. Especially now that they weren't living at home and weren't around their parents all the time. And, even worse than the rumor, was facing it if it happened to be truth.

Of course, they would be overjoyed for their mother if she were to join the Elite Four. That would mean that she was one of the best trainers in the world. But that would also mean that she could no longer be the Cerulean City gym leader; a title she had held since she was 12 years old, which was impressive in itself. A gym leader was all Aiden and Michelle had ever known their mother as. Could all of that now change?

"Pichu!" Pichu squeaked, suddenly running out from underneath the table and darting down the boardwalk where the restaurant's outdoor tables were place.

"Ah, Pichu!" Michelle cried, jumping out of her seat and chasing after the little electric mouse.

"Pipipi!" Pichu continued to shriek as she ran.

"Pichu, quit it!" Michelle scolded. Eventually, she caught up to the Pokémon and gathered the small thing in her arms, glaring down at her. "Come on, Pichu, you can't just run off like that! What's gotten into you, huh?"

"Pipikachu!"

Michelle raised her eyes and gasped. Approaching her was none other than her mother, father, and Elizabeth, who was nestled soundly in her father's grasp.

"Mom?" Michelle's jaw had dropped at this point. "Dad?"

"Hi, sweetie!" Misty ran up to her oldest daughter and gave her a nearly bone crushing hug, kissing her atop the head. "I've missed you so much, darling!"

"I…missed you too…" Michelle puffed, barely able to breathe in her mother's embrace.

"Mist, I'm pretty sure she can't breathe," Ash informed his overzealous wife.

Misty giggled nervously and let go of Michelle, who by now was a little red in the face from being squeezed so tightly. "I'm sorry, dear," Misty brushed through her daughter's hair once they were separated.

"It's okay," Michelle smiled encouragingly at her mother. "I'm happy to see you, too!"

"Shelly!" Elizabeth called from Ash's arms. She had twisted her body in order to see her older sister, since Ash was holding her with her back towards Michelle. The younger girl was beaming, a juice box held in her right hand and Teddi with her left.

"Hi, Lizzie!" Michelle greeted her little sister sweetly. She walked over to her father and took the young girl out of his arms, giving her a hug.

"I miss you, Shelly," Elizabeth buried her face in the crook between Michelle's shoulder and neck.

"Aw, I miss you too!" Michelle giggled. "But look, we're both here now!"

"Yeah!" Elizabeth nodded, holding up her favorite toy. "And Teddi, too."

"Mom?! Dad?! What are you guys doing here?!"

Michelle looked over her shoulder and found Aiden to be standing behind her. He was visibly shocked, looking between his mother and father in surprise.

"Well, we knew that Michelle's next Contest would be in Porta Vista, so your grandparents let us stay in the vacation house so we could come watch her compete live!" Ash answered brightly.

"You were great in your last Contest, sweetie," Misty was beaming at her older daughter. "I know you didn't win, but your performance was what I remembered the most!"

"That's because you're my Mom," Michelle blushed.

"Hardly," Misty giggled.

"Where's Brandon?" Ash looked around.

"I left him at our table," Aiden pointed behind him. "We're still waiting for our lunch to get here."

"All three of you are going to stay at the house with us," Misty informed the twins, sounding very final on the matter. "It'll be good to spend some time together, especially with Michelle's second Contest coming up!"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Michelle smiled.

"Hey, Mom, while you're here, can I ask you something?" Aiden suddenly sounded a little subjugated.

Misty's expression grew more serious and concerned as she nodded just once and replied, "of course, sweetheart!"

Looking up at his mother with a frown, Aiden inquired, "is it true that you got offered a spot in the Elite Four?"

Misty's eyes snapped open wide. Ash's did as well, but those wide eyes quickly melted into a narrowed state as he set a glare on his wife.

"I…I…" Misty stammered. She clearly wasn't sure what to say. Aiden and Michelle watched in slight horror as their mother's face went completely pale, her lips quivering as she tried to come up with a response.

"What's going to happen to the gym, Mom?" Michelle added, sounding just as concerned as her brother.

Misty closed her mouth and gazed down at the ground, breathing out sharply as her straight red locks fell down in front of her.

"Oh, hey, look at that!" Ash suddenly yelled, pointing out towards the sea before grabbing his wife's arm. "A school of wild Milotic! Don't see that very often! Come on, honey, let's go look at them!"

"But, Ash," Misty finally spoke up, "what about Elizabeth-"

"She loves Aiden and Michelle!" Ash started to drag Misty away, the big smile still on his face. "I bet she's going to love hanging out with them for a little bit! Hurry, before the Mitotic leave!"

Aiden, Michelle, and Elizabeth watched in confusion as their father basically dragged their mother down towards the water.

"Daddy's weird," Elizabeth quipped.

**XXX**

Down by the water, Misty stared confusedly at the back of her husband's head. As soon as they reached the railing that overlooked the shore, Ash let go of Misty's arm and whipped around, the big grin on his face completely evaporated and replaced by a look that could only be described as betrayal.

"A…Ash…" Misty whispered.

"You were offered that spot again?" Ash asked strongly.

Misty stayed quiet for a long moment, staring deep into her husband's eyes. She was trying to figure out his emotion: was he hurt? Confused? Angry? Misty couldn't figure it out. But she knew she had to answer him. And she knew she couldn't lie. There was no getting around it.

"Yes," Misty replied quietly.

Ash's face relaxed, although he still held a conflicted expression. Sighing, he ran a hand through his wild black mane and murmured, "Why wouldn't you tell me?"

Misty crossed her arms over her chest and shrugged. "I don't know," she muttered.

His shoulders falling, Ash took a step forward and asked, "Were you afraid that I was going to try and convince you to take it again?"

"Maybe," Misty shrugged yet again. She just seemed completely indifferent.

Holding his arms out, Ash pulled Misty into him and hugged her. Pressing his lips to her ear, he spoke softly, "Misty, you know I would never push you to do something that you don't want to do. But I thought that it was your dream to be a member of the Elite Four; to be the master of water Pokémon."

"It was," Misty confirmed dully.

"Then I just don't understand," Ash separated themselves and lifted Misty's head up with his fingers.

"I said it _was,_" Misty repeated, more strongly this time. "That _was _my dream."

"But, Misty," Ash reasoned with her, "we're not in the same situation that we were 10 years ago. You don't have to feel guilty about following your dream."

"Ash," Misty was about to snap, "how many times do I have to tell you that being a water master isn't my dream anymore?"

Grabbing her hands, Ash yanked Misty forward so their noses were touching. Misty took in a sharp breath and stared Ash dead in the eyes.

"Do you remember 10 years ago, when you were first asked to join the Elite Four?" Ash asked steadily.

Misty held her breath and just kept staring into Ash's eyes. Of course she remembered; it had been one of the most at variance moments in her life. She could vividly replay the entire scene in her head, as though it had just happened yesterday.

_It was a warm June day at the Indigo Plateau; all of the Kanto gym leaders were gathered for a meeting. It wasn't of great importance, just the typical "checkup" of each gym, where all of the leaders discussed their monthly win to loss ratios, the state of their Pokémon and training, the gym rankings…it was all tedious and, to be honest, fairly boring._

_Misty was more tired than usual, and twice as annoyed. But she couldn't show it. She was hiding a secret from the other gym leaders, and she couldn't let on to anything. Fortunately, the day was coming to a close, and Misty would soon be free to return home, hopefully to the loving embrace of her husband. So long as he still wasn't out doing his own job._

_She smiled to herself as she thought about her husband: Master Ketchum. Chills went up her spine every time someone addressed him as that. He had achieved his dream, and it was perfect. Misty had never been happier for anyone than she was for Ash. She was practically living through him and his exhilaration. _

_As Misty busied herself with returning her poke balls to her light blue bag, the sound of footsteps entering the room caused the gym leader to snap her head up, eyes narrowing in paranoia. She reached into her bag, retrieving one of the red and white spheres she had just so carefully put away, gripping the ball in her fingers and preparing to enlarge it._

"_Misty, dear, relax. It's only me."_

_The water type specialist sighed and lowered her arm, willing her heart to stop racing. When she un narrowed her eyes, Misty indeed saw that the "intruder" was only Agatha, the ghost type specialist and oldest member of the Elite Four._

"_Oh, Agatha," Misty breathed out deeply. "I'm sorry."_

"_Well, you're certainly on edge, young one," Agatha smirked, although Misty couldn't be sure of why. "Is something the matter?"_

"_No," Misty answered almost too quickly as she placed the poke ball back in her bag, "nothing at all."_

"_Very well, then," Agatha moved closer to the gym leader, her eyes sparkling. It was mischievous, in a way. Playful, and almost cunning._

"_What can I do for you, Agatha?" Misty asked, trying to hide her exhaustion._

"_Not a thing," Agatha waved her hand. Laughing just once, she eyed Misty and continued, "I should be asking _you _that question."_

"_You…need to do something for me?" Misty wasn't quite sure of what Agatha was doing._

"_I would like to," Agatha nodded. "I have a proposition for you, love."_

_Tilting her head, Misty left her hand on her bag but turned so she was facing Agatha head on. "What is it?"_

_Sighing, Agatha bowed her head slightly and began, "I think we all know, dear, that I've grown older. I've been at this job for so many years. And I love it, I do, but I think it's about time I give it up. Or…at least pass it on to someone else."_

"_But…didn't you retire and then return to your position?" Misty flipped her head to move some hair out of her eyes._

"_Yes, yes, when I stepped down and they promoted Bruno," Agatha seemed almost annoyed by the inquiry. "That lazy bum couldn't do a thing right, thank goodness he stepped down and I managed to get my position back."_

_Misty stifled a giggle. She couldn't disagree with Agatha; that one time she had met up with Bruno so many years ago, she would never forget how…lazy he was. For such a strong man and a great trainer, he couldn't do much for himself._

"_But I really am getting on in age now," Agatha continued, "and this time, I'm going to pick who replaces me. After the last debacle, I don't trust the League with a single thing."_

"_I don't blame you," Misty smiled. She was quite familiar with Agatha's short temper. "Is that what you need my help with? Do you need me to talk to someone for you?"_

"_Not even, dear," Agatha brushed that off. "You see, I've thought about it for quite some time, and I've decided that the best replacement for me would be…you."_

_Misty's expression went static, all of the blood draining from her face. Her brain was barely functioning; Misty couldn't string a coherent sentence together. Raising a shaking finger to point at herself, Misty blinked just once before stammering, "m…me?"_

"_Yes, you," Agatha nodded._

"_But…" Misty could still hardly think, "why…me?"_

"_You're a wonderful trainer, Misty," Agatha explained her reason very carefully. "I personally believe that you're the best gym leader in the entire Kanto region. So, why shouldn't the best replace me?"_

_Misty took a step back, doing everything on auto pilot. "I think you regard me too highly, Agatha."_

"_Nonsense, I know a good trainer when I see one," Agatha refuted. "I saw the same thing in your husband back when he was a scrawny little pre-teen. Now look at him."_

"_Pokémon Master," Misty muttered under her breath._

"_Exactly my point," Agatha finished._

"_I…I just don't know, Agatha…" Misty was curling her fingers, digging her nails into her palms and flexing her wrists._

"_I understand this is a big responsibility," Agatha sounded sympathetic. "That's why I didn't spring it on you right after Ash became the Pokémon Master; I knew he needed his moment, and that right after, you'd be busy planning a wedding and a honeymoon and all of that. But with all of that excitement out the way, I figured now was as good a time as ever to present you with this formal invitation."_

_Misty turned around so her back was facing Agatha. She grabbed her bag with her left hand and her stomach with the right, giving it a gentle squeeze before throwing the arm back down to her side and turning on a heel to face Agatha once again._

"_It's…a very kind offer," Misty smiled at the older woman. "And an incredible one as well. Life changing…actually. It's a lot for me to think about."_

"_I understand," Agatha repeated._

"_Would you mind too much if I thought about it for at least one night?" Misty requested. "This is a decision that I feel I can't make without speaking to Ash first. Ever since we got married…we're a team."_

"_Perfectly fine," Agatha grinned before turning around. As she walked out the door, the ghost type specialist stopped to look over her shoulder, calling, "oh, and Misty?"_

_The gym leader's head snapped back up. "Yes, Agatha?"_

_With a smirk, Agatha quipped, "You and Ash were a team long before you two got married, my dear."_

_It had been a long ride home, and an even longer wait for Ash to return from his daily training. Since they were staying in Pallet Town, Misty was trying to busy herself by helping Delia with chores around the house. But she was barely allowed to lift a finger by the auburn haired woman. All because of the-_

"_Mom! Mist! I'm home!"_

_Misty jumped up from her seat at the kitchen table, running to the front door. Delia, who was busy cooking dinner at the stove, simply giggled and kept about her business. _

_When she reached the front door, and set her eyes on Ash, Misty felt just about all of the air leave her lungs. It was like she had been punched in the chest. She just…couldn't do it._

_So she started to cry._

_Frowning, Ash hugged Misty and rocked her back and forth, tutting, "what is it, Mist? Why are you so worked up?"_

_Misty couldn't speak. She was too busy sobbing into Ash's chest, soaking his shirt with her tears and, grossly enough for the gym leader, her snot._

"_Do you want to talk about it upstairs?" Ash murmured, eyeing his mother in the kitchen. Wordlessly, and without lifting her head up, Misty nodded in conferment. Patting her back, Ash separated the young woman from his body and held her hand leading her towards the staircase. _

_Once upstairs, Ash led Misty into the guest bedroom, sitting her down on the bed and craning his neck to examine her face, which was rather hard to see since Misty had her head down._

"_Oh, you're a mess," Ash sighed, getting up and walking into the bathroom. He gathered some tissues and brought them back to his wife, holding them out for her. When she didn't take them, however, Ash took it upon herself to wipe her eyes and nose, until all that remained was a red glow around both features._

"_Thanks," Misty muttered, rubbing at her eye with the back of her hand._

"_Is it your hormones?" Ash asked cautiously. He knew Misty was volatile to snap or cry at any moment; even more so than usual._

"_That's probably part of it," Misty confessed. "The crying, anyway."_

"_What do you mean?" Ash furrowed his brow._

_Sighing, Misty stared at her hands which were set in her lap for a few moments before getting to her feet and walking briskly out of the room, At first, Ash just sat on the bed, completely bewildered, but eventually he got up as well and followed his wife, finding her across the hall in his childhood bedroom._

"_Misty, what are you doing in here?" Ash blinked._

_She was standing in the center of the room, looking around with a sense of adoration. Misty examined everything from afar, her chest rising and falling with her gentle, seemingly at peace breathing._

"_You're kind of freaking me out, Mist," Ash decided to be honest with his wife, even for fear of being struck over the head with the oh so familiar wooden mallet. "Is something wrong?"_

"_No," Misty answered honestly, shaking her head. She walked again, this time towards Ash's bunk bed. Looking it up and down, she giggled softly before sitting down on one of the ladder steps, staring down at her feet in deep thought._

"_Could have fooled me," Ash muttered, moving towards the red head._

_He grabbed one of her hands, and at the action, Misty smiled. This brought relief to Ash, who was even happier when Misty pulled him in front of her and pushed him down by the shoulders._

"_What?" Ash asked innocently._

_Misty leaned forward and pressed her lips against Ash's. He was still worried about this whole "pendulum of moods" thing she had going on, but he certainly wasn't about to turn down a kiss from his beloved. Wrapping his strong arms around her body, Ash returned the kiss as passionately as he knew how, loving the feel of Misty's soft lips against his own._

_When the need for air arose, the two separated, staring at each other with complete devotion. Misty knew she could trust Ash…why in the world had she freaked out before?_

"_I…got an offer today," Misty finally spoke up._

"_What kind of offer?" Ash raised an eyebrow._

_Pressing her lips together tightly as she smiled, Misty looked into Ash's eyes and revealed, "Agatha asked me to take her place as a member of the Elite Four."_

_Ash's jaw dropped, his eyes widened, and Misty couldn't help but to laugh wildly, as if it were the best thing she'd ever seen._

"_Misty!" Ash breathed, pulling her face forward to give her another kiss on the lips. "That's incredible! That's…amazing!"_

"_I know," Misty was far calmer than her husband on the matter._

"_It's your dream, Misty," Ash shook his head in disbelief, still grinning from ear to ear. "That's it, that's the highest level you can get with your type specialty! My wife is going to be a master of water Pokémon!"_

"_Not so fast," Misty's lips twitched. And not in a good way._

_Ash was taken off guard by this. "What do you mean, babe? How could I not be excited for you? This is all you've ever wanted! It's your dream!"_

"_And I don't think following it would be a good idea," Misty shook her head._

_Now Ash was _completely _stunned. "Misty…how could you say that?"_

"_Because you and I have a lot more than just us to think about!" Misty pointed at her stomach. "There's three of us in this relationship now. We have to remember that."_

"_Sweetheart, I didn't forget about the baby," Ash squeezed Misty's hands. "I never would! But just because you're pregnant doesn't mean you should give up your dream."_

"_That's exactly what it means," Misty sounded stern. _

_Ash gasped softly and backed down, his eyes glittering with confusion. "But…why?"_

_Groaning, Misty got off the ladder and began to stalk around the room, nervously wringing her hands together. "Having a baby means you have to sacrifice…sometimes a lot," Misty sighed. "This position might just have to be one of those things."_

"_It's what you've always wanted," Ash repeated._

"_But I got pregnant," Misty replied very quickly. "In 6 months, there's going to be a very tiny baby in this house, who's going to need a lot of love and care. How could I possibly provide that if I'm a member of the Elite Four?"_

"_You take a break," to Ash, the answer seemed quite simple._

"_Ash, it's not that easy," Misty was getting frustrated. "If I'm in the Elite Four, I'll have _much _more responsibility than I do as a gym leader! There's so much traveling and battling and training involved…you think in a few more months when I'm huge and fatigued I'll want to do that all day? I can barely run the gym as I am now!"_

"_But it kills me to know you're going to let something you've wanted so badly just slip away," Ash frowned._

_Smiling sadly, Misty shrugged and replied, "it happens. You have dreams, but then life gets in the way. That's just how it works. I would love to be a member of the Elite Four, but I'm going to be a mother, and that comes with so much responsibility. It's not all about me anymore."_

_Standing up, Ash walked over to Misty and gripped her shoulder with his hand. "Are you sure, Misty?"_

_She didn't seem to want to answer this question. In truth, Misty _really_ did want to be part of the Elite Four. Ash was right…it had been her life's dream. But now that she was pregnant…doing that would just be selfish. Misty knew she couldn't do it. Her dream had to end. And that was that. Looking up, she glanced into Ash's glowing brown eyes and lightly bent her brow, her forehead creasing as her lips bent into a definitive frown._

"_Yes," Misty muttered. "I'm sure."_

The gym leader sighed, still staring Ash deep in his chocolate brown eyes. He seemed frustrated; not with Misty, but with the situation. He really wanted to help, but he wasn't entirely sure of how.

"You don't have to feel guilty about following your dream anymore," Ash reasoned with her.

"But I do," Misty replied before gritting her teeth. "And it's _not _my dream anymore."

"Why do you have to feel guilty?" Ash frowned.

"Because Elizabeth is still a little girl," Misty explained. "She's still just a baby to me. And my baby needs me."

"She'll understand it's your job," Ash stressed. Observing the anxious expression on her face, Ash pulled his shoulders back and amended, "unless…Misty…"

"What?" Misty mumbled. She could tell Ash had caught onto her.

"It's not that Elizabeth needs _you,_" Ash raised an eyebrow. "_You _need Elizabeth."

Misty sucked in a deep breath and shrugged before stuttering, "m…maybe…"

"Is that why you don't care if you're a water Pokémon master anymore?" Ash inquired. "You're happier being a Mom?"

Biting her lip, Misty nodded in an almost shy fashion. Smiling, Ash wrapped his arm around her shoulders and chuckled quietly, setting Misty off. "What's so funny?!"

"Nothing's funny," Ash smiled at his aggravated wife. "I just love you, is all."

"Don't pretend I'm an idiot," Misty shrugged him off and glared at the Pokémon Master. "You're laughing at me."

"I am not!" Ash replied indignantly.

"Then what the hell is so funny?" Misty demanded.

"Nothing," Ash sighed. "I was laughing because I love you so much."

"How is that funny?" Misty didn't seem at all placated.

"You're just sweet," Ash shrugged. "I'm glad you like being a Mom. I like being a Dad. But you can do both!"

Misty twisted her mouth and shrugged. That didn't seem to be such a thrill for her. Ash just couldn't understand why his wife was being so standoffish about all of this. He really wanted to see her achieve her dream, and this was a chance for her to do just that. Giving it up just seemed strange to him.

"I don't want to," Misty shrugged.

"But why?" Ash was going to drag this out of his wife if he had to.

"Because I'm happy being a gym leader!" Misty had finally snapped, her cheeks reddening as she explained her reasoning to Ash. "You're right, I _did _want to be a water type master! When I was just a gym leader, I wanted a life that was so much more exciting. I wanted to travel around the world again, like I used to do with you and Brock. I wanted to battle all kinds of trainers, from all different regions, and be one of the strongest water type trainers in the world. After watching you become the Pokémon Master, I wanted to realize my own dream even more. I knew I was getting there, that I was _so _close! But then…I got pregnant. And I can't lie: I was mad at first. I kept it to myself, but I was upset. I couldn't help but to feel that getting pregnant had ruined my whole future. My dream had to be put on hold for something we hadn't planned. Eventually, I felt guilty for feeling that way and I tried to teach myself that it wasn't right."

"There's nothing wrong with that, Misty," Ash frowned. "You could've just told me you felt that way, I would've helped you!"

"No, because I felt so bad," Misty shook her head. "I was blaming a little, unborn baby for something that wasn't even in its control! And then when we found out we were actually having twins…I knew that was it for me. Two babies comes with twice as much responsibility. I started to feel angry again, sometimes, but mostly I was excited. And the more they grew, the more I fell in love with them. By the time Aiden and Michelle were born, they meant the world to me. I didn't want or need anything else but them. Suddenly, being a water Pokémon master wasn't as big of a deal to me. I had made the sacrifice, and it was worth it."

Ash breathed out quietly and looked down at Misty with a sense of complete love for the woman. Wrapping his arms around her, Ash gave Misty a kiss on the head and murmured, "I love you," into her hair.

"You know, it's funny," Misty giggled. "Every time Agatha asks me to take her place, I'm pregnant."

Ash separated himself from Misty, backing away with a look of both shock and horror on his face. "Wait…Agatha asked you 4 years ago…? And you're pregnant right now?!"

"Yes and no," Misty smirked. "She _did _ask me to take her place while I was pregnant with Elizabeth, but had no idea I was going to have another baby. I never told you because I didn't want to go through the same thing we had the first time, and I knew for sure I wasn't going to take the job. That was only the second time she'd asked me to join the Elite Four. This now makes it the third time, but for the first time, I'm not pregnant."

Covering his heart, Ash sighed and grumbled, "You scared me."

"Aw, sorry, honey!" Misty got up on her toes and kissed Ash on the nose. "I didn't mean to. But trust me, I'm definitely _not _pregnant. It's my time of the month."

"Thank you for sharing," Ash shook his head, smiling sarcastically as Misty laughed behind her hand. Growing more serious, he added, "but we have to make sure the kids know that you're not joining the Elite Four."

"They did seem pretty freaked out by the idea," Misty mused. "I wonder why."

"We can go find out now," Ash decided. "Let's bring them all back to the house and get some answers."

"Sounds good to me," Misty grinned.

**XXX**

Once Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon had finished their meals, Ash and Misty brought them back to the vacation home that was owned by Misty's parents. Elizabeth had enjoyed spending time with her siblings, but when Ash and Misty had returned, all she wanted was to be held by her mother. So, Ash and Misty sat with Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon before them, with Elizabeth sitting on Misty's lap and snuggling with Teddi.

"What is it you wanted to talk about, Mom?" Michelle tilted her head.

"That little rumor about me leaving the gym to become a member of the Elite Four," Misty answered easily.

"Oh no," Aiden grumbled.

"Relax, champ, it's nothing bad," Ash smirked.

Nodding, Misty informed the children, "now, just to let the two of you know, it _is _true that I was offered that spot in the Elite Four. That wasn't just a rumor."

The three older children's eyes widened. Elizabeth, on the other hand, had no idea what the adults were talking about and was far more interested in her stuffed Pokémon.

"Mom…that's really amazing," Michelle marveled.

"Yes, it is," Misty agreed. "But I'm not going to take it."

Aiden and Michelle looked at each other; feeling conflicted. While they were happy knowing that the gym would remain in their mother's care, they also knew that becoming a member of the Elite Four was an amazing, perhaps even once in a lifetime, opportunity, and to Aiden and Michelle, it seemed as if their mother wasn't even _considering _it.

"But…why?" Aiden finally spoke up.

"I'm very happy being a gym leader," Misty answered honestly, a smile on her beautiful face. "Besides, over the past 10 years, I've become much more used to being at home than traveling around. I like being able to balance my life at home with my job. If I become a member of the Elite Four, it won't be like that."

Elizabeth squeaked suddenly, causing everyone in the room to look down at her. She was fine, however; simply playing with Teddi and making little noises, pretending it was him. Giggling, Misty hugged the girl closer to her and rested her cheek against the top of the child's head, smiling at Ash as she did so.

"So, Mom, does that mean you're not jealous of Dad?" Michelle pointed between her two parents. Misty's head shot up, and she and Ash exchanged stunned faces.

"You're jealous of me?" Ash pointed at himself.

"No!" Misty refuted quickly.

"But that's what the rumor was," Aiden mumbled.

"Aiden, what did you say?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"That was part of the rumor," Aiden spoke up. "That you were jealous of Dad because he's the Pokémon Master, and that's a higher rank than gym leader. So you wanted to be in the Elite Four to be closer to him in rank."

At this, Misty laughed freely, causing Ash to furrow his brow. "What's so funny about that?"

"Oh, dear, I'm not jealous of you," Misty waved a haphazard hand at her thoroughly bewildered husband. "If I really _was _jealous that you had a higher title than me, don't you think I would have done something about it in the last 10 years?"

"Yeah, your mother has a point…" Ash glanced at Aiden and Michelle. "Trust me, if she was jealous, she would've gotten ahead of me by now."

"I'm not jealous of your father," Misty made it final, patting the raven haired man sitting next to her atop his head.

"So…the gym stays under your control?" Michelle smiled.

"Yes, sweetheart," Misty nodded. "I'm still the gym leader."

"That's good," Aiden seemed comforted by this piece of information.

"You seem pretty relieved, there, champ," Ash smirked at his son.

"Well, Mom promised me a gym battle," Aiden looked at his mother, who smiled warmly in response. "I'm not going to let her get out of it!"

"I know you wouldn't," Misty giggled.

Aiden, still beaming, got to his feet, his parents staring at him in bewilderment.

"Aiden, dear, where are you going?" Misty blinked.

"To train," Aiden shrugged. "It's what I have to do if I want to beat you one day!" Smiling, he pulled two poke balls off of his belt, releasing Squirtle and Growlithe. "Come on guys, let's go outside and do some work!"

The Pokémon cheered in their perspective languages, following after their trainer. Ash and Misty watched the boy leave, both of them sweat dropping as he hurried out of the room with his Pokémon in tow.

"Well…he's not hard to reassure," Ash chuckled.

"Just like his father," Misty smirked at her husband.

"Shelly! Brandon!" Elizabeth suddenly squeaked. "Wanna' play with me?"

"Aw, sure, Elizabeth!" Brandon grinned. "We'll play with ya!"

"Yay!" Elizabeth jumped off of Misty's lap and ran towards the stairs, Brandon and Michelle giggling as they followed after the young girl. Sighing, Misty leaned back against the couch while Ash laid a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good, babe," Ash flashed his trademark boyish grin.

"Thanks," Misty smiled softly, turning her head to look at Ash. "But it was no big deal, really. You and I _both _had to sacrifice for our children. There's no reason not to be honest about it with them when the situation arises."

Ash drew back slightly, his lips pressing into a firm line. Misty was right, they both had given something big up 10 years ago.

But Ash wasn't sure that his opportunity would ever arise again.

* * *

**Yep, Ash had to give something up too. You'll find out what it is later on. Can't give it all away now, can I? ;)**

**I like incorporating the past in this story, so you'll definitely be seeing more flashbacks throughout the story (we already got one in th third chapter when Michelle caught Butterfree, remember?) It helps to set everything up. And, as you can tell, Ash and Misty are more involved with the twins' journey than most of the other parents in the series were. I like it that way ^^**

**Next update will be coming sometime next week from my new dorm room! We might be returning to the Friday updates as well. In the meanwhile, why don't you leave a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter, which I'm very proud of, by the way :P You can even tell me what you think Ash's former role was that he had to give up! I'm curious as to what everyone is thinking :)**


	15. Second Contest! Battle on the Beach!

**Uuuugh God, you guys. This college thing. It's...it's an experience. I like it, but at the same time...I really hate it. It's a good thing I had this chapter written before I left; I'm not even CLOSE with the next one! I'm trying, but there's already so much work I feel like my brain is going to explode. And we haven't even had sign ups for activities yet...and I really need to try and do some. I actually miss high school **

**Let me shut up now, though. You're not here to read about me, for I am boring. No, let's get into this lovely new chapter, instead!**

**Last time: Aiden and Michelle were surprised to see their parents on Porta Vista, where Michelle's next Contest is going to be held. With Misty right in front of them, the twins finally bring up their all important question: is the Elite Four rumour actually true? Misty stammers, causing a surprised Ash to drag her away and request an explaination. Even HE didn't know about the offer! Misty finally reveals that she was in fact offered the position AGAIN (she'd already been offered it twice before!) but planned to turn it down once again. Ash doesn't completely understand why, but he chooses to respect it...at least for now. Wih that problem solved, Michelle now faces her second Contest, hoping to finally win her first ribbon!**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Second Contest! Battle on the Beach!**

The next morning, the six inhabitants of the luxurious vacation home set on the shores of Porta Vista awoke to bright rays of sunshine, squawking Wingull, and crashing waves. For Michelle, this morning was especially exciting. For in just a few hours, she'd be participating in her second ever Contest.

"Are you excited, Michelle?" Ash asked his oldest daughter at the breakfast table.

"Yeah, but a little nervous, too," Michelle blushed. "I've never had this big of a personal audience before…"

"Well, you don't have to get so worked up over that, since we're all rooting for you!" Misty grinned reassuringly at the girl.

"That's true," Michelle nodded slowly, taking a sip of her milk.

"Have you thought about which Pokémon you're going to use?" Aiden looked at his sister.

"I have, and I made a decision last night," Michelle smiled. "I've decided that I'm going to use Butterfree in the appeals round, and if I make it to the battle rounds, I'll be using Ponyta."

"Pi?!" Pichu gasped from the floor. She was eating out of a bowl with Pikachu, not liking to be separated from the bigger mouse whenever they were together.

"I'm sorry, Pichu," Michelle frowned. "But everyone needs to get a turn in the Contests! Besides, I used you in both rounds last time, and I could tell that you were getting pretty tired by the time we got to the battle round. We just need to do a little more training!"

"Chu," Pichu huffed indignantly, turning away to continue eating her breakfast.

"Pichu will be fine," Ash smirked as he watched the two mouse Pokémon share their meal. "If I tried to count all the times Pikachu got mad at me for not using him in a battle, I'd be counting all day!"

"Kachu," Pikachu haughtily agreed from the ground, causing Ash to chuckle under his breath.

"Mommy! Daddy! I'm ready for the Contest!"

The couple looked towards the stairs, where their youngest child was jumping down the stairs like a little Spoink. When she fully came into view, Ash's eyes widened, his head immediately turning towards his wife.

"Misty…" Ash murmured.

"Oh, sweetheart, you look adorable!" Misty smiled at the girl.

She was wearing a pink leotard with a layered tutu, white tights, and pink ballet slippers. Her hair was still down, although she had put a sparkly pink headband on her head. In her arms was Teddi, the stuffed Pokémon wearing a little tutu of its own.

"Thank you, Mommy!" Elizabeth chirped, scurrying over to the table so she could sit with her siblings and Brandon.

Still staring at his wife, Ash furrowed his brow and reasoned, "Misty, you can't let Elizabeth out of the house like that."

"Why not?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"Because…those aren't clothes," Ash blinked.

"Oh, she's just a little girl, it's okay," Misty waved a hand at her flustered husband.

"But-"

"Daddy!" Elizabeth unwittingly interrupted. "Don't I look pretty? I wanted to look pretty for the Contest, like Shelly! Am I pretty, Daddy?"

Sighing, Ash smiled at the girl and replied, "of course you're pretty, pumpkin. Especially in that cute little ballerina outfit."

Elizabeth squealed delightfully, while Misty smirked behind the Pokémon Master. She knew that man would never be able to resist the innocent charm of his daughters; especially when they were just cute little girls.

"And Teddi, too?" Elizabeth held up the bear.

"Yes," Ash sighed laughingly. "Teddi too."

**XXX**

The Porta Vista Contest Hall was an absolutely stunning building.

According to Misty, it was brand new, and the fact showed. It had a mirrored exterior, reflecting the bright sunlight and blue sky of the resort town. There was still the signature ribbon sign hanging in front, however: this one a brilliant teal with a mirrored charm in the middle, engraved with the letters "CH" for Contest Hall.

"Wow, I can't wait to compete in here!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling.

"I was reading up about the Contest this morning," Misty informed her daughter, "and it's not a Super Contest, so you don't have to wear your special dress."

"I actually like wearing that dress," Michelle giggled. "But it'll be fun to not have to change!"

Standing next to Misty where Aiden, Brandon, and Ash, the oldest male holding Elizabeth in his arms. The young girl was still fully dressed in her ballerina outfit and clutching her accordingly dressed toy, and she too had a huge smile on her face as she observed the building before them.

"Daddy, it's pretty!" Elizabeth squealed.

"Isn't it, pumpkin?" Ash chuckled.

"When we go inside, will you buy me candy?" Elizabeth tilted her head back so she could stare up at her father. "Pease?"

Twisting his mouth in thought, Ash eventually untangled it to show a sweet smile, replying, "sure," before lowering his voice into a small whisper, "just don't tell Mommy, okay?"

"Okay!" Elizabeth beamed.

Upon entering the building, Michelle's family left her to her own devices, but not before Michelle handed over Pichu to a surprised Ash.

"What do I look like, a babysitter?" Ash motioned his head towards Elizabeth, and then Pichu.

"No," Michelle furrowed her brow, "Pichu just likes to spend time with Pikachu is all. And he's always with you."

"Pika!" Pikachu squeaked. He was perched on his usual spot: Ash's right shoulder. Pichu had scurried right up the Pokémon Master's arm to reach the bigger mouse, ascending Pikachu's back to sit atop his head.

"If anything, _Pikachu _is the one babysitting here," Misty smirked.

"Take good care of Pichu, okay?" Michelle asked her father's longtime partner.

"Pika, pipikachu!" Pikachu nodded carefully to ensure that Pichu would not slip off.

"Thanks!" Michelle smiled at the Pokémon before racing off to head backstage. She needed to get ready for the Contest…this time, she was going to win!

**XXX**

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Porta Vista Pokémon Contest!"

Everyone cheered as Lilian Meridian's voice came over the loudspeakers. She was, as usual, standing center stage, holding a microphone and emceeing the event.

"This Contest is being brought to you in our newest Contest Hall!" Lilian continued, throwing her hand over her head for emphasis. "Gorgeous, isn't it? Just like the Porta Vista Contest ribbon!"

Opening her hand, Lilian revealed the ribbon that would be awarded for winning this specific Contest: a shimmery, ocean blue ribbon with a silver, diamond shaped charm in the center.

"Mommy, it's pretty!" Elizabeth squealed.

"Yeah, that's a beautiful ribbon!" Misty agreed.

"The competition in Porta Vista is one of our smaller contingents, so for this Contest, only four coordinators will move on to the battle round!" Lilian announced.

Hearing this news backstage, Michelle wasn't sure if she should be excited or nervous. It was good that there was less competition, but bad that only four spots were available in the second round. Michelle just knew she'd have to try her hardest. She continued to listen to Lilian's speech, including the introduction of the three usual judges: Contesta, Sukizo, and Porta Vista's Nurse Joy. Afterwards, the Contest was underway. Michelle was up third, which she believed was better than going last like she had during the last Contest.

When her turn arrived, the girl stepped out on the stage, a confident smile on her face. This surprised her family, simply because Michelle had been going on and on all morning about how nervous she was.

"Well, that certainly isn't the same girl we saw at breakfast this morning," Misty marveled.

"She's masking her nerves with confidence," Ash grinned. "Awesome! I taught my little girl well."

Keeping the grin on her face, Michelle tossed her poke ball and called, "Butterfree, start the show!"

The butterfly Pokémon appeared before her trainer, floating in the air with her wings spread out wide to show off how polished they were.

"Wow, Butterfree looks great!" Ash commented.

"It was a great idea for Michelle to have Butterfree show off its wings," Misty agreed. "They look gorgeous!"

"It must be from that special wax that Brandon made," Aiden added.

"Brandon, you made wax for Butterfree's wings?" Ash sounded impressed.

"Yeah, Uncle Brock showed me how to do it!" Brandon nodded. "He told me that applying that kind of wax to a bug type's wings would make them shine, so I thought it would be a good idea to make some for Michelle's Butterfree before the Contest."

"Alright, Butterfree," Michelle beamed up at her dual type Pokémon, "use stun spore!"

"Free!" Butterfree flapped her wings more and more rapidly until they were nothing but a black and white blur, amber colored powder emerging from the haze.

"Pirouette!" Michelle ordered.

"What kind of attack is that?" Aiden furrowed his brow.

"Aiden, pirouette isn't an attack," Misty giggled. "It's a dance move!"

Still fluttering her wings, Butterfree held her right leg out, parallel to the ground, and began to spin in a rapid, but still visible, circle, the stun spore forming a ring around her and spreading out as she turned.

"Oh, how beautiful!" Lilian commentated. "Michelle is having Butterfree use ballet technique, causing the stun spore to form a stunning tutu like illusion around her waist!"

"This is perfect!" Misty gasped adoringly. "Michelle really learned something training for the water ballet after all!"

"Let's finish this up, Butterfree!" Michelle grinned. "Use gust!"

Butterfree stopped her pirouette, causing the "tutu stun spore" to disperse and gently curtain down towards the stage. Swooping down, Butterfree caused the amber colored dust to part, and once that had been done, used her gust attack. The rapid flapping of Butterfree's wings sent the stun spore back up and out, the fine particles bursting into nothing but a shower of golden sparkles, raining down on both the Pokémon and her trainer. Continuing to fly down, Butterfree performed a seemingly simple back flip before landing on Michelle's shoulder, once again holding out her right leg and standing on the tip of her left foot.

The audience burst out into applause, and Michelle's family was no exception. They were _very _impressed with what they'd just seen, and it wasn't because Michelle was their daughter, sister, and friend. It was because she was _good._

"That appeal was even better than the one she had in Sunfire Town!" Aiden beamed.

"It was really good!" Brandon agreed.

"Butterfree was a ballerina!" Elizabeth's eyes were sparkling like emerald glass.

Ash and Misty looked at one another and exchanged silent glances. They didn't need to say anything; just smile at one another and know that their daughter had done them very proud.

"What a performance!" Lilian awed. "Let's see what the judges thought about Michelle's appeal!"

On the panels in front of the judges' podiums, three digital scores appeared to reflect what they thought of Michelle's performance: 9.0, 9.5, and 9.0.

"Unbelievable!" Lilian gasped. "Michelle finishes with a score of 27.5!"

"She's only 2.5 points away from perfect!" Brandon was positively giddy over the fact.

Michelle, still down on the stage, was just as excited, as she visibly gave a little jump and held Butterfree up in the air, grinning and chattering away happily to the dual type Pokémon. Her words weren't clear to those in the audience, but it was quite obvious that they were words of happiness.

**XXX**

Backstage, once all of the appeals had been before, Michelle waited anxiously for the results to be revealed. She kept her eyes glued on the screen, waiting for Lilian to appear and announce which four coordinators would be moving on. Michelle was fairly confident in her performance, but that didn't mean she was guaranteed a spot in the final four.

"Michelle!"

The coordinator looked up and found Elizabeth to be running towards her, the young girl's poufy pink tutu flouncing as she scurried.

"Hi, Elizabeth," Michelle smiled sweetly at the younger girl.

Elizabeth placed her palms down on the bench and pushed herself up onto the seat, right next to her older sister. Swinging her tight covered legs, Elizabeth looked up at Michelle and marveled, "you were so good, Shelly!"

"Thanks, Lizzie," Michelle smiled appreciatively at her younger sister. Observing the girl, Michelle furrowed her brow and asked, "where's Teddi?"

She found it unusual that the child didn't have her poke doll with her; it was usually never out of her sight. Wordlessly, Elizabeth pointed at the doorway, just in time for Michelle to see their father walking into the room, Teddi and several boxes of candy in his arms.

"Uh, Dad…" Michelle laughed, "don't you think that's a little too much candy for just _one _person?"

"None of it is mine," Ash sighed, "it's all Lizzie's. She couldn't decide which one she wanted."

"So you bought _all _of them?" Michelle smirked.

"You know I can never say no to you and your sister," Ash shook his head.

"I let you eat some of 'em, Daddy," Elizabeth shrugged.

"That's because you decided you didn't _like _most of them," Ash deadpanned.

Elizabeth clasped her hands together and held them up by her cheek, smiling cutely at her father and letting out an adorable giggle that caused Ash's heart to melt. He could never be mad at his babies…he loved them way too much.

"Michelle, you were amazing!" Misty came running into the room, right past her husband to hold Michelle's face in her hands. "I can't believe how gorgeous that appeal was! I loved it!"

"Ah…thanks, Mom…" Michelle murmured, her cheeks turning a fierce shade of red.

"Mist…" Ash was using a warning tone, "you're _embarrassing _her…"

Pulling back, Misty realized that her husband was right; Michelle's face was as red as a ruby. Smiling sheepishly, Misty let go of her daughter's face and apologized, "sorry, sweetheart."

"It's okay," Michelle's face returned to a normal color. "You're just proud of me is all!"

"Yes, very," Misty nodded, her face lighting up yet again. "My baby is such a beautiful coordinator!"

Again, Michelle blushed deeply, and again, Ash directed his wife, "Mist…"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Misty apologized profusely, laughing as she did so. "I can't help it, I'm sorry. Forgive me, Shelly?"

"I'm not mad, Mom," Michelle scoffed at the idea.

"Okay, everyone, it's time to announce our four Porta Vista Contest finalists!"

Michelle's head snapped up, and she once again set her eyes on the screen. Lilian's image was quickly replaced by that of four photo slots, where the pictures of the finalists would be revealed. Her breath got caught in her throat as she wrung her hands together nervously, the girl's family waiting just as anxiously behind her.

"And…" Lilian's voice boomed, "here they are!"

All four pictures appeared at once, and Michelle's was the very first one: in the top left corner of the screen. The coordinator shrieked and jumped up onto her feet, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"I knew you'd do it, Shelly!" Ash's voice was warm and clearly proud.

"With a score like that, there was no way you weren't moving on!" Aiden agreed.

"Now," Lilian continued, "let's see who our finalists will be put up against in the semifinal round!"

Michelle's eyes returned to the screen in order to watch the photos being shuffled like a deck of cards. Eventually, they settled out into two pairs, the pictures once again flipping over to reveal the coordinators. Michelle spotted her picture next to that of a boy who appeared to be her age, with chestnut brown hair and turquoise eyes.

"There it is!" Lilian called. "And our first battle on the semifinal stage will be…Michelle versus Evan!"

"My battle is first," Michelle sighed. Perking up, she pumped a determined fist and yelled, "let's do it!"

**XXX**

"The battle will be five minutes, and whoever has the most points at the end or who's Pokémon knocks the other out, wins!"

Michelle and Evan were staring each other down, poke balls in their hands. Ash, Misty, Aiden, Elizabeth, and Brandon were all watching from their seats, eager to see how the match would play out.

"Let the battle begin!" Lilian threw her arms up in the air.

"Ponyta, you're up!" Michelle tossed her poke ball. The fire horse appeared before her trainer, neighing as she gently stomped her hooves against the stage's surface, making it sound like a little tap dance.

"Bayleef, let's go!" Evan threw his own red and white sphere, the second evolved form of Johto's grass starter materializing before him.

Michelle smirked to herself. This was shaping up rather nicely for her already!

"Michelle has the advantage!" Aiden cheered. "A fire type totally wins over a grass type!"

"We'll have to wait and see," Ash warned his son.

"Let's get this going," Evan grinned. "Bayleef, use razor leaf!"

Bayleef whipped its head, sending out a flurry of sharp edged leaves.

"I'll stop that," Michelle didn't seem the least bit concerned by the grass type's attack. "Ponyta, ember!"

The fire horse Pokémon whinnied and spit out a stream of fire, quickly burning the leaves that Bayleef had fired off. They fell to the ground in a weak flurry of ashes, causing Evan to lose a small amount of points.

"Nice work, Ponyta," Michelle beamed at her Pokémon. "Now, use take down!"

Ponyta ran forward and slammed right into Bayleef, the leaf Pokémon crying out in obvious pain as it flew backwards and landed harshly on the ground.

"Bayleef!" Evan cried.

"And Evan loses more points on the board!" Lilian announced.

"We've gotta' get a move in," Evan muttered before raising his voice, "Bayleef, tackle!"

"Dodge it, Ponyta!" Michelle ordered.

As the grass type charged forward, Ponyta managed to jump right over it, landing skillfully on her hooves as Bayleef skidded to a halt.

"Ponyta sure is fast," Misty commented.

"Must be all of that race horse training we did with her," Aiden beamed.

"Ponyta, turn around and use fire spin!" Michelle called.

The fire type spun on her hooves so she was facing the decently injured Bayleef. Rising up on her hind legs, Ponyta landed with a very audible _click _of her hooves as she opened her mouth to send a spiraling shot of fire towards Bayleef. It made direct contact and, before Evan could do a single thing, the flames dissipated and Bayleef was revealed to have been completely knocked out.

Three X's appeared on the front of the judges' panels, leading Lilian to announce, "Bayleef is unable to battle, which means Michelle and Ponyta are the winners! They will be moving on to our final battle!"

"Yes!" Michelle cheered, Ponyta stomping her hooves just a few times in quiet celebration.

"Great, Michelle's moving on to the finals!" Ash beamed, a very proud expression visible on his handsome. "That's my girl."

**XXX**

"And now, our final battle! It's Michelle versus Vitalia!"

"Ponyta, it's time for our grand finale!" Michelle threw the red and white sphere that contained Ponyta. The fire horse appeared before her, letting out a puff of air through her nostrils as she eyed the girl standing across the stage.

Smirking, Vitalia swept a lock of dark blonde hair out of her chestnut brown eyes, withdrew her own poke ball and called, "Arcanine, game on!"

The monstrous fire type appeared before its trainer, growling ferociously at Ponyta, who backed up in panic. Michelle was not amused by such threats, and simply glowered at her opponent.

"Cool, it's a fire type versus a fire type!" Ash was grinning.

"Fluffy!" Elizabeth pointed at Arcanine, squealing in sheer delight.

"That's the evolved form of Growlithe…" Aiden breathed as he scanned the Pokémon with his poke dex.

_Arcanine, the legendary Pokemon, and the evolved form of Growlithe. Arcanine are viewed as beautiful and regal Pokemon. They are incredibly fast and have a flame burning from within its body to power its fire type attacks._

"Arcanine sure is a cool Pokémon," Aiden marveled.

"And they tend to be very powerful," Brandon noted. "I wonder how Michelle will handle this."

"Let the battle begin!" Lilian threw her hands up in the air.

"Arcanine, thunder fang!" Vitalia commanded.

"She's not wasting any time," Michelle gasped as Arcanine charged forward, its fangs glowing yellow as small sparks of electricity jumped from the sharp pair of teeth. "Dodge it, Ponyta!"

Ponyta tried to run out of the way, but Arcanine was too fast for the fire horse. Arcanine jumped right over Ponyta and pounced on the horse's back, biting her neck with its electrifying fangs. Ponyta whinnied in obvious pain, the electricity sparking from Ponyta's neck.

"Ponyta!" Michele cried.

Ponyta was struggling underneath Arcanine's mass; it was _much_ heavier than she was. Eventually, however, she managed to swing her neck around enough that Arcanine went flying, if only for a few feet. It managed to skid to a halt on its large paws, smirking deviously at Ponyta as the fire horse struggled to get back onto her hooves.

"Are you alright, Ponyta?" Michelle was nervous. She knew that thunder fang had the ability to inflict its target with paralysis.

"Pichupi!" Pichu was whining from the audience. She was worried about Ponyta; the fire horse was her teammate and friend, after all.

"Ponyta, please, get up," Michelle was beginning. "I know you can do it!"

By some miracle, Ponyta managed to get back on her hooves, proving to Michelle that the fire type did not suffer paralysis from Arcanine's thunder fang. This seemed to irritate Vitalia, but not to a completely noticeable degree.

"Ponyta, use take down!" Michelle ordered once she was sure Ponyta was steadily on her hooves.

Ponyta backed up and prepared to charge at Arcanine, but as soon as she set her big black eyes on the dog, she whined and stumbled backwards, her eyes squeezing shut in complete fear.

"What?!" Michelle gasped.

"No, Ponyta flinched!" Ash gasped. "That must've been from the thunder fang."

"Well, it's not paralysis, but it's close enough," Vitalia smirked. "Arcanine, fire fang!"

The big dog ran forward, flames gathering in his mouth as they emitted from his sharp fangs.

"How many fang attacks does this Pokemon know?" Michelle hissed. She wasn't entirely sure of what to do with this giant Pokemon storming towards her much smaller one.

"Michelle, you have to dodge it!" Ash cried. He knew his daughter couldn't hear him, but he really wished she could. It killed the Pokemon Master to see his daughter so confused, and knowing there was nothing he could do to help from where he was.

Somehow, Michelle seemed to be thinking on the same wavelength as her father, however. Narrowing her eyes, she commanded, "Ponyta, jump right over Arcanine!"

With her cringe gone, Ponyta managed to charge towards Arcanine before building up power in her strong legs and taking a striding leap right over her fellow fire type. Arcanine skidded to a halt, looking around him in confusion, while Ponyta landed skillfully on her hooves several feet behind the fire dog.

"Perfect," Michelle grinned to herself. "Now, use take down!"

Ponyta spun on her hooves like a controlled top before charging towards Arcanine, streaks of orange appearing behind her as she slammed right into the larger fire type, knocking his heavy body across the stage.

"Arcanine!" Vitalia cried.

"Way to go, Ponyta!" Michelle cheered.

"And Ponyta comes back with a fierce take down attack!" Lilian commentated. "Just like that, Vitalia's points are down."

"I will _not _go down that easily!" Vitalia declared. "Arcanine, hyper beam!"

Getting up to his paws, seeming to be only slightly affected by Ponyta's take down attack, Growlithe opened his mouth and fired off an incredibly powerful hyper beam attack, the orange beam of energy surging towards Ponyta.

"Ponyta, hold it off with fire spin!" Michelle called.

The fire horse neighed and spit out her own attack: a swirling burst of hot flames. Both attacks collided head on, appearing to be equally powerful.

"Wow!" Lilian gasped. "Both Arcanine's hyper beam and Ponyta's fire spin are at the same level! Who's going to let down their guard first?"

Arcanine growled and focused his energy even further, causing the strength of his hyper beam to increase and push back Ponyta's fire spin. The fire horse whinnied in discontent at this development, but tried to stand her ground by pushing down on her hooves and forcing her attack to become stronger as well.

"This is bad," Brandon noted.

"Ponyta just learned fire spin," Aiden added, "there's no way she can control it as well as Arcanine can with its hyper beam."

_I can't do this anymore, something's gonna have to give, and in the long run, I know it's gonna be Ponyta, _Michelle thought begrudgingly to herself. _Time for a different strategy._

"Ponyta!" Michelle called, causing the fire horse to use her peripheral vision to look back at her trainer. "I want you to jump out of the way of Arcanine's hyper beam and then use fire spin on yourself."

Ponyta neighed in confusion, while Michelle's family and friend watching from the audience gasped in clear shock.

"What is Michelle doing?" Misty looked at her husband in disbelief.

"I'm not so sure," Ash leaned forward in his seat, "but she certainly seems sure of herself…"

"Ponyta, trust me on this one," Michelle nodded, "it will work."

Still feeling uncertain, Ponyta tried to block out her insecurities as she nodded and did just as Michelle instructed, leaping over Arcanine and freeing the hyper beam from its battle with her fire spin. With no target in sight, however, the hyper beam attack died out, leading Arcanine to growl in displeasure. Landing back on her hooves, Ponyta lifted her head and once again used her fire spin, this time enshrouding herself in the attack.

"Unbelievable!" Lilian marveled. "Ponyta is using her fire spin attack to create a swirling barrier of flames around herself! What is Michelle's plan?"

"That girl is out of her mind," Vitalia narrowed her eyes. "But that's just good news for us! Arcanine, use flame charge!"

The large fire dog stomped its paws until a large amount of flames gathered around, leading the fire type to charge towards Ponyta while covered in fire. Michelle, however, simply smirked at the action. She was prepared, despite everyone's thinking, and she was going to win this battle. It was all in the bag for her.

"Do it, Ponyta!" Michelle threw her arm out in dramatic fashion. "Run out through your fire spin with take down!"

Putting her head down, Ponyta took one giant leap right through the surrounding flames, and emerged covered in the blazing fire. She was not hurt by it, though. Since Ponyta was moving so fast, thanks to her take down attack, the flames were instead floating around her body, working like a suit of armor.

Using the coating of flames as protection, Ponyta slammed right into Arcanine, the combined power of her "fire armor" and take down attack beating out the strength of the other Pokémon's flame charge. Arcanine cried out and went flying backwards, landing in a furry heap in front of its astonished trainer.

"Arcanine!" Vitalia cried.

Suddenly, a horn was heard, quickly accompanied by Lilian's call of, "time's up!"

Both coordinators gasped and looked up at the board, eager to see who had the most points remaining. While Vitalia had less than half of her points left, Michelle had only _lost _half of hers. Her bar was more full than Vitalia's.

"The winner of this final battle is…Michelle!" Lilian announced, Michelle and Ponyta's pictures taking up the full screen along with the text declaration of the glorious title "WINNER."

Michelle could barely contain her excitement. She screeched so loudly that it echoed through the entire Contest Hall. Ponyta's whinny of victory was just as powerful. Running forward, Michelle hugged her fire horse and rubbed her cheek against the Pokémon's neck, cheering, "we did it, Ponyta! You were awesome!"

"That was a great battle!"

Looking up, Michelle realized that Vitalia had walked over to her and Ponyta, the other girl holding out her hand. Grinning, Michelle offered her own and shook Vitalia's hand.

"Congratulations!" Vitalia added.

"Thanks, it was a lot of fun battling you!" Michelle beamed.

"Aw, just look at our sweet little girl!" Misty had jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ash's neck, causing the Pokemon Master to choke. "She's won her first Contest _and _she's showing such wonderful sportsmanship! I'm so proud of her! Aren't you, honey?"

"C-can't…breathe…" Ash sputtered.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Misty blushed, letting go of Ash's neck.

He refilled his lungs with oxygen and rubbed at his sore neck, managing to puff out, "my neck never gets a break from you girls, huh?"

**XXX**

"It is with great pleasure, Michelle, that I award you with the Porta Vista Contest ribbon!" Mr. Contesta announced, handing the pretty blue prize over to the red headed young coordinator.

Bubbling with excitement, Michelle took the ribbon from the Contest president, squeaking out, "thank you so much!" Opening her hand, Michelle stared at the beautiful ribbon resting in her palm, beaming at her reflection in the silver diamond that sat in the middle of the ribbon.

Squealing, Michelle held the ribbon up in the air, between her fingers, as she cheered, "alright! I won my first ribbon!"

Ponyta, who stood next to her trainer, whinnied happily, stomping her hooves on the stage in her own version of celebration.

From the stands, everyone in the audience cheered for the bubbly young girl, clearly on her side. Ash just smiled boldly at the girl, having never felt more proud of his daughter than in this moment. The sight really made him realize that she was no little girl anymore. She was a coordinator.

A very talented one, at that.

* * *

**I like writing the family dynamic, it's so much fun ^^ Ash and Misty will definitely be showing up for more of Michelle's Contests. Not all of them, of course, but a few :)**

**So I'm going to try really, really hard to have the next chapter out by next Friday, but no promises because FREAKING COLLEGE. I'm not a fan right now, lol. So, for now, leave a review and make me smileee :) You guys rock!**


	16. Danger in Numbers!

**Your eyes are not decceving you, it is in fact the newest chapter! I'm really so sorry that it took this long. It's a lot harder to write multi chaptered stories while you're away in college! I mostly find time to write one shots every once in a while, but I'm working on this story as hard as I possibly can! I can't promise overly consistent updates, but the updates WILL be coming, so no worries. I didn't make the cheer team, so plenty of extra time to be writing now!**

**Last time: Michelle competed in her second ever Pokemon Contest, this one in Porta Vista. With Ash, Misty, and Elizabeth there to watch alongside Aiden and Brandon, Michelle used Butterfree in the appeals round and Ponyta in the battle round to win her first ribbon! With that out of the way, the group now moves on to the next city.**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Danger in Numbers!**

"I just can't stop looking at it! Isn't it so pretty, Pichu?"

"Pi!"

Michelle was holding up her ribbon case, admiring the prize she had been awarded for winning the Porta Vista Contest. It was so gorgeous; the way it shined in the sunlight and sat so gingerly on the velvet lining. Really, Michelle couldn't have imagined a more beautiful ribbon as her first. It was just perfect.

"Michelle sure is happy about that ribbon of hers," Brandon chuckled. He and Aiden were walking a few paces behind the coordinator, watching her actions from a further distance.

"I'll be happy just like that when I win my third badge!" Aiden formed a fist of determination.

"I'm sure you will," Brandon smirked. "So where will you be getting that badge, bud?"

"Uh…" Aiden lowered his fist, sweat dropping in the process, "I guess…I'm not really sure where the closest gym to here is. I should've asked my Mom before we left, huh?"

"That might have been a good idea," Brandon noted before grinning mischievously and pulling out his poke gear. "But fortunately for you, we have this."

"That's the Brandon I know, always saving the day," Aiden scoffed.

"From your lack of directional knowledge, at least," Brandon chuckled. Turning on the device, he scrolled through the map before determining, "the closest place to here that has a gym is Saffron City. And, what do you know, there's a Contest Hall there as well!"

"Alright, so to Saffron City it is!" Aiden cheered. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he called, "did you hear that, Shelly? We're headed to Saffron City! There's a gym _and _a Contest Hall!"

Spinning on a heel, Michelle smiled angelically at her brother. "Perfect! You and I will blow Saffron City away with our talents!"

"Yeah!" Aiden agreed.

"A little full of ourselves now, aren't we?" Brandon sighed laughingly.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'D BETTER RUN!"

Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon all stopped in their tracks, blinking curiously after hearing a very angry yell come from seemingly out of thin air.

"Someone doesn't sound happy," Michelle spoke in a sing song voice, eyeing the boys.

"You could say that again, " Brandon agreed.

"Yeah," Aiden chimed in, "sounds like Mom after I break something in the house."

Squinting her eyes, Michelle saw a blurry figure leaping towards them; predominantly white and moving very quickly. Turning around, she caught the attention of her travel mates and inquired, "I'm not crazy, right? You guys see that giant blur, too?"

The boys looked up and gasped. Michelle simply nodded, getting the confirmation that she wasn't, in fact, just seeing things.

"What is that?" Aiden marveled. "Some kind of flying type?"

"I doubt it," Brandon blinked.

The white blur eventually settled on a tall pile of rocks, standing on all fours and staring down at the ground with a pair of extremely mistrusting eyes.

"No way," Brandon gasped.

"What's up, Brandon?" Michelle furrowed her brow.

"It's an Absol," Brandon breathed.

The twins both looked up at the top of the rock collection, finding the furry white Pokemon to be standing rather proudly atop the mound, the wind gently blowing its elegant fur.

"It sure is a pretty Pokemon," Michelle smiled.

"Let's see what the poke dex has to say about it," Aiden retrieved his red device and scanned the creature.

_Absol, the disaster Pokémon. The horn on its head allows Absol to predict when a natural disaster will occur. Absol rarely appear in areas inhabited by humans, and when they do it is to warn people of an oncoming catastrophe._

"So, it sounds like Absol really isn't a people Pokémon," Michelle concluded from the poke dex's definition.

"Pichu," Pichu squeaked in conferment.

Furrowing his brow, Aiden added, "but if that's true, then how come we're seeing Absol right now?"

"Didn't the poke dex say that Absol will appear to humans only to warn them of impending disaster?" Brandon suddenly sounded a little nervous.

"Come on, Brandon," Michelle rolled her bright emerald eyes. "Do you really think something bad is gonna' happen just because Absol showed up?"

"He's right! That Absol is nothing but trouble!"

The three young trainers turned to find a burly looking man glaring up at Absol. He was clearly very angry, and it was obvious that this anger was being turned towards the disaster Pokémon.

"What do you mean?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he didn't trust this guy.

"That Absol has been showing up in our town for the past three days causing problems for everyone!" The man seethed. "Running around, breaking through branches and rocks with that sickle sticking out of its head! Obviously, that Pokémon is out to get us, and deserves to be punished!"

"Hey, you don't have any proof that Absol is bad!" Aiden argued.

"The destruction in our town is proof enough, son," the man growled.

"And just how do you plan on punishing Absol?" Michelle began to sound distrustful, just like her brother.

"We've got ourselves a real good trainer, a prodigy I'd say," the man seemed rather proud of this fact. "He's agreed to capture that Absol and take it away from here for good."

"A prodigy?" Brandon seemed intrigued by such an idea.

"You've got that right, buddy!"

Aiden looked around the man's side, and as soon as he saw the source of that voice, his whole face turned scarlet. Not from embarrassment, however. It was, instead, from sheer anger. Michelle followed her twin's lead and, upon seeing the figure, she sighed and muttered, "Oh, here we go."

The boy standing behind the portly man was young; he appeared to be the same age as the three young trainers. His dark brown hair was well brushed, although still long enough to hang over his piercing blue eyes. Around his neck he wore a garnet pendant, while his clothes consisted of a sapphire blue polo shirt, charcoal gray pants, and a pair of very sporty red and blue sneakers with black bottoms and shoelaces.

"What are you doing here, Oak?" Aiden seethed.

"Just what my man Antonio here said," The boy smirked at his lifelong rival, "I'm here to catch an Absol."

"What are you gonna' do with it, huh?" Aiden's eyes were narrowed into a harsh glare.

"Relax, Ketchum," the brown haired boy waved a haphazard hand at the one with raven tresses, "I'm not gonna' hurt it. I'm not some kind of monster, you know. I plan on capturing it and giving it to my Dad for research. After that, I'll just take Absol back and make it part of my team."

"I doubt that's all you're up to," Aiden rolled his eyes before grinning mischievously at the other boy, "_Samson_."

"The name is _Sam!_" He jumped right into Aiden's face, holding up a shaking fist.

"They still don't like each other?" Brandon sighed.

"Of course not," Michelle rolled her eyes. "They haven't liked each other since they were babies, despite our Dad and Sam's dad's best efforts. That definitely isn't going to change now."

"Hang on just a minute," Antonio stepped in between the two boys, confusing them thoroughly. Looking down at Aiden, he inquired, "Did Mister Sam here just call you 'Ketchum'?"

"Yeah, that's my last name," Aiden blinked.

"I don't believe it! How could that have escaped my eyes?!" Antonio grabbed hold of Aiden's shoulders. "You're the Pokémon Master's son!"

"That's right," Aiden beamed, while Sam huffed in the background.

"This is perfect!" Antonio seemed to be on top of the world upon discovering Aiden's identity. "The two of you are _both _prodigies! You can work together to catch Absol!"

"Me work with him?!" Aiden and Sam cried simultaneously while pointing at one another and making disgusted faces.

Antonio gasped, while Michelle decided to step in and inform the man, "That's never going to work, just to let you know. My brother and Sam do _not _like each other."

"Really?" Antonio raised an eyebrow.

"They've been competitive ever since we were really little," Michelle shrugged. "I can't think of one thing they haven't turned into a competition."

A grin appeared on Antonio's face upon hearing this news, and Michelle really couldn't figure out why. Spinning around, Antonio waved his hands in the air and continued, "Forget I ever suggested working together! What a foolish thing to bring up. Err…what I meant to say is that you two should make catching Absol a competition!"

"A competition?" Aiden and Sam spoke at the same time once again, growling at each other once they'd realized what they'd done.

Michelle could only groan and smack a palm against her face, while Brandon couldn't shake off the feeling that absolutely no good would come from this.

"Yes!" Antonio's eyes were shining. "The son of one of the world's best Pokémon researchers versus the son of the world's best Pokémon trainer! It's perfect!"

"And what do you expect me to do with Absol when I catch it?" Aiden glared at Antonio.

"You mean _if by some miracle _you catch it," Sam quipped.

"Shut up!" Aiden barked.

"You may do whatever you like with that terrible thing," Antonio scoffed. "Throw it in a river, for all I care."

"That's a terrible thing to say!" Michelle was completely offended now.

"He has every right to be angry, sweet face," Sam cooed to Michelle, who looked ready to tear his head off. "Absol is destroying their town, and for no good reason at all. That's why I'm going to save those citizens from such destruction and become the hero that I was born to be!"

"Don't you mean the _loser _you were born to be?!" Aiden yelled.

"Watch it, Ketchum!" Sam was once again in Aiden's face.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Michelle pulled Aiden back and shoved Sam by his shoulders, causing the brown haired boy to stumble back a few steps. "I feel like I'm babysitting two idiot kids."

Looking up at Antonio, Aiden decided in a determined voice, "fine. I'll help catch Absol. But I'm going to prove to _all _of you that there's a reason for Absol showing up."

"No there isn't," Sam refuted. "He's just being vengeful."

"Isn't your Dad a Pokémon researcher?" Aiden snapped. "I guess you haven't been paying attention your whole life, because Absol don't show up around humans!"

"I know that!" Sam argued. "And he showed up to make them feel his wrath. Absol is clearly angry at the world, and he's taking it out on the citizens of a small town!"

"You're actually the dumbest person I've ever met!" Aiden screeched.

"Am I the dumbest person now?" Sam called as he tore off towards the pile of rocks where Absol was perched atop. Gasping, Aiden snarled and chased right after the boy, leaving behind Antonio, Michelle, and Brandon in a cloud of dust.

"Great…" Michelle grumbled.

"I wonder how this is gonna' turn out…" Brandon watched the boys racing off.

Down in the tall grass that surrounded the rock mounds, Sam and Aiden were trying to fight one another off by any means possible: pushing, shoving, tripping, and even pouncing. The two human boys were no better than a pair of wild Pokémon fighting over the last scrap of food.

"You're not gonna' catch that Absol!" Aiden cried.

"You wish!" Sam took a poke ball off of his belt and threw it, "Bulbasaur! Help me out!"

The seed Pokémon appeared several feet in front of the rock pile where Absol was perched, waiting patiently for its trainer's command.

"Bulbasaur," Sam called, "use vine whip to grab Absol!"

"Bulba!" Bulbasaur released twin vines from the bulb on its back, stretching them up towards Absol while keeping its big red eyes set on the disaster Pokémon the entire time. Absol, meanwhile, was watching every move that Bulbasaur's vines made. When the vines came within inches of Absol, the dark type leaned over and bit the appendages, causing Bulbasaur to cry out in pain.

"Bulbasaur!" Sam cried in worry.

"Heh, nice try," Aiden rolled his eyes before tossing his own poke ball, "but my Squirtle is way better!"

The blue turtle appeared next to Bulbasaur, narrowing his eyes at the grass type. Bulbsaur, meanwhile, managed to forget the pain it was in in order to return a glare directed at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, hop up the rocks and talk to Absol!" Aiden commanded.

"Squirt!" Squirtle nodded before making his way up the mini mountain.

"Talk it out? How girly of you," Sam scoffed.

"Yeah, right," Aiden rolled his eyes before grinning brightly. "More like how _smart _of me!"

Teetering up the rocks, Squirtle made his way over to Absol, who seemed wary of the water type. Smiling, Squirtle waved at Absol and greeted, "squirtle!"

Narrowing his eyes, Absol turned on his heels and ran away from the water type, faster than Squirtle could even comprehend. Looking down the rocks, Squirtle waved his claws at Aiden and frantically cried out, "squirt! Squirtle squirt!"

"What's gotten into you?" Aiden called. "Where'd Absol go?"

Squirtle pointed towards the back of the rocks, just in time for both Sam and Aiden to see Absol leaping off the rocks and flying over the trees before falling back down onto the path and darting away.

"Absol is going back into town!" Sam gasped. Narrowing his eyes, he made a sharp turn, picking up dust and blowing it right in Aiden's eyes. "Bulbasaur, follow me!"

The seed Pokémon nodded and followed in the same direction as his trainer. Aiden, however, was not one to be deterred. With a scowl on his face, he turned in the same direction that Sam had, looking up and shouting, "Squirtle, come on! We can't lose those two!"

"Squirt," Squirtle hopped off the rocks and began to run alongside Aiden, just as determined as his trainer to catch the seemingly troubled dark type.

**XXX**

Antonio had led Michelle and Brandon into town, the two young trainers concerned about their traveling companion.

"That brother of yours really is headstrong, isn't he?" Brandon asked.

"_I_ think it's a problem," Michelle stressed.

"While we wait for your brother and his friend to come back, why don't I take you two back to my shop?" Antonio asked. "I'd be quite honored to serve the daughter of the Pokémon Master and her boyfriend here!"

"_Boyfriend?!_" Michelle and Brandon both sputtered. They turned red and vehemently protested such an idea. It was absolutely preposterous, the two of them a couple.

Antonio just chuckled at the two, but still insisted upon bringing the two trainers to his shop. While Michelle and Brandon remained flustered by the accusation, they agreed to go with Antonio. Reaching the store, it was revealed to the two that the older man owned a bakery, and right away, Michelle's agitation was replaced with exuberance.

"A bakery?!" Michelle's eyes were shining. "Oh my gosh! I've been _dying _for something sweet!"

"Then you've come to the right place!" Antonio laughed.

"Oh, please tell me you have those mini apple pies!" Michelle was practically jumping up and down. "They are the tastiest things in the whole wide world!"

Brandon smirked. He knew that anything with apples was loved by Michelle, but that apple pie was her absolute favorite. She could probably eat it for every single meal and be perfectly content.

"You bet I do!" Antonio grinned. "Come on inside and I'll give you some."

Before Antonio could open the door, however, he was stopped by a flash of white, which proceeded to park itself right in front of the door. Staring down, the two young trainers plus Antonio all gasped, surprised by the sight. The blur quickly settled down to reveal Absol, glaring at Antonio and standing in a defensive stance.

"Absol!" Brandon was shocked by the dark type's sudden reappearance.

Antonio, however, was just plain annoyed. Growling, he ran to the side of the building in which his bakery was stationed, fetching a broom and swatting it at Absol, who easily jumped out of the way. Aiden, who was still racing Sam to enter the town, caught sight of this and marveled at the Pokémon's speed.

"Wow, he's fast," Aiden awed.

"Bulbasaur, use leech seed!" Sam ordered.

Aiden narrowed his eyes as the grass type jumped over his trainer, a seed shooting out of the Pokémon's bulb. It hit Absol and covered the disaster Pokémon in thin vines that soon began to glow red, causing the furry white Pokémon to groan in apparent pain.

"Those vines are sucking Absol's energy," Brandon ground out through his teeth, causing Michelle to huff and shoot a glare in Sam's direction.

"Sam, what was that about?!" Aiden yelled at the brown haired boy running next to him.

"I had to stop Absol, no matter what," Sam bit. "He should have just cooperated before!"

"I'm not gonna' let you do this to Absol," Aiden declared, looking over his shoulder and commanding, "Squirtle, use bubble to destroy those vines!"

The blue turtle ran ahead of Aiden and spat out a slew of bubbles which surrounded Absol and went on to destroy the little shoots that were draining the dark type of its energy. Absol shook out his fur and gave Squirtle a long stare, which caused the water type to stop in his tracks and return the other Pokémon's innocent look. After a few moments, Absol broke off the eye contact and leapt away from the humans, running off quickly and elegantly.

"It's so strange," Michelle murmured.

"I really wonder why Absol keeps coming back into town," Brandon added.

Sam and Aiden both trudged up to Antonio, who had his arms folded across his chest as he glared down at the two younger boys.

"What happened to catching Absol, huh?" Antonio asked.

"We've been trying," Sam grumbled. "Absol is a pretty tricky Pokémon, you know."

"Powerful, too," Aiden nodded.

"I wasn't talking about you," Antonio motioned to Sam before pointing an accusatory finger at a shocked Aiden. "I was talking about _you!"_

"Me?!" Aiden was shocked.

"Sam got a hold on that troublemaking Pokémon with Bulbasaur's leech seed attack," Antonio continued his blame, "and you used your Squirtle to break it! What in the world possessed you to do that, huh?"

"Because Absol was obviously in pain!" Aiden fretted. "I couldn't let him keep suffering like that, even if it meant we could capture him. I refuse to let any Pokémon be mistreated!"

"What does it matter?" Antonio folded his arms. "We're just gonna throw it back in the wild, anyway!"

Frowning, Aiden pushed past Antonio to try and approach Absol, but was shocked to find that the dark type was gone. Looking over his shoulder, Aiden managed to just catch sight of the furry white Pokémon out of the corner of his eye. Nodding just once to himself, Aiden took off, Squirtle following close behind.

"Where's that boy going?" Antonio muttered.

"After Absol," Michelle answered strongly. "Probably to save him."

"You don't even know what you're talking about," Sam scoffed.

"No, but I know how put obnoxious little boys like you in your place!" Michelle put a fist right in front of Sam's face. "So watch yourself!"

While Sam shook under the pretty red head's threatening fist, Aiden continued running after Absol, getting considerably closer with each stride. The dark type didn't seem bothered by Aiden's proximity, however, as he kept on running until scaling a large tree and standing on one of the strong branches.

"I gotcha," Aiden smirked. He attached himself to the trunk of the tree and started to climb, Squirtle letting out a small squeak before following after his trainer.

Absol, meanwhile, scanned the raven haired boy with judgmental eyes, watching the trainer's every move. He didn't exactly trust the boy, but then again, Absol didn't completely dislike him either. His intention didn't seem bad, not like every other human in the village.

"Hey, Absol," Aiden greeted softly, finally reaching the branch where Absol had perched himself. Gripping his fingers against the bark, the young trainer threw the dark type an innocent smile and asked, "What's up?"

Absol blinked and looked away, showing not too much interest in whatever Aiden had to say. The boy was persistent, however; he was not one to give up easily. Hauling himself up onto the branch, Aiden sat before Absol and allowed his legs to dangle in the air, looking down at his sneakers as he spoke, "I know you're not a bad Pokémon, Absol. I'm not here or hurt ya' or anything."

Absol finally made a noise of interest and turned his eyes back onto Aiden. Sensing this change in the Pokémon's behavior, Aiden glanced at the furry white Pokémon and increased the size of his grin. "I promise."

"Ab," Absol finally spoke, though it was in a delicate and barely audible voice.

"The village people are kinda' crazy, I know," Aiden nodded. "They don't believe in you like I do."

"Ab," Absol repeated, this time a little more loudly so Aiden could hear him more clearly.

"But, you _are _running around breaking stuff," Aiden furrowed his brow. "Why's that? There has to be reason. Are you angry about something?"

Absol shook his head before staring up at the sky. Aiden took note of this cue and turned his own eyes up towards the sky, noticing the dark clouds moving in. Breathing out, Aiden pulled himself fully onto the branch, climbing towards the end of it.

"Sol," Absol spoke up.

"Yeah, the sky's really dark," Aiden commented. "It looks like a storm is coming."

"Ab," Absol nodded. Aiden furrowed his brow and began to process thoughts in his head. A storm was coming, and Absol had been destroying things all over the village. There had to be a connection…

"Wait, what did the poke dex say about you again?" Aiden asked himself as he pulled out his red device to once again look up Absol.

_Absol, the disaster Pokémon. The horn on its head allows Absol to predict when a natural disaster will occur. Absol rarely appear in areas inhabited by humans, and when they do it is to warn people of an oncoming catastrophe._

"That's it!" Aiden gasped, jumping up. He had forgotten he was on a branch, however, and managed to lose his footing. Waving his arms frantically in the air and letting out a series of gasps, Aiden nearly went tumbling straight towards the ground. Fortunately, Absol managed to leap forward quickly and gracefully, catching the boy's shirt with his teeth and pulling him back up to safety on the branch.

Taking a sigh of relief, Aiden wiped the stress related sweat off his brow and beamed at the dark type. "Thanks, Absol! You saved me!"

"Sol," Absol nodded just once.

"I knew you weren't bad," Aiden was obviously happy about this being true. "Now all I have to do is tell the villagers why you were so upset! And we can protect them from the storm, too."

Absol leapt off the branch, with Aiden and Squirtle following closely behind. The raven haired boy walked back to his travelling companions, who were still gathered by Antonio and Sam, both of whom looked incredibly frustrated.

"Hey, guys!" Aiden called, causing them all to turn their focus onto him. "I know why Absol's been wrecking stuff in the village. It's not because he's a bad Pokémon."

"Why then?" Michelle asked, genuinely intrigued as to what the real reason behind Absol's antics could be.

"Do you remember how the poke dex said that Absol could sense oncoming natural disasters?" Aiden inquired.

"Yes," Michelle and Brandon answered simultaneously.

"Well, that's why Absol was doing all this stuff to the town," Aiden explained. "There's a big storm coming, and Absol was just trying to warn everyone about it!"

"Sol!" Absol finally spoke up, confirming that what Aiden was saying was true.

Antonio seemed to soften a little upon hearing this revelation, but Sam didn't seem quite so willing.

"Yeah, right," Sam scoffed. "Why should we believe _you, _Ketchum?"

"Because I talked to Absol, and I understand that's why he's doing all of this!" Aiden argued.

"So all of a sudden you can communicate with Pokémon?" Sam smirked. "Sounds a little fishy to me, ya' runt."

"You know what else sounds fishy?" Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Your dumb full name; Samson Garrick-Kay-"

Sam tackled Aiden and knocked him to the ground, interrupting the rest of Aiden's taunt. While the two young boys wrestled on the ground, a crack of lightning startled both of them, causing the trainers to roll frantically on the ground and scramble away from one another.

The lightning had struck the ground right in front of Absol, leaving behind a smoking black mark. Absol narrowed his eyes and stepped over the burnt patch of grass, turning his eyes onto a bewildered Aiden. "Sol, absol!"

"You want me to help you warn everyone?" Aiden pointed at himself, blinking in astonishment.

Absol nodded before charging off, Aiden gasping as the dark type flew past him. Looking down at his partner Pokémon, Aiden threw his arm over his head and called, "come on, Squirtle! Let's follow Absol!"

"Squirt!" The blue turtle nodded and quickly followed after his trainer.

"Aiden, what about us?" Michelle yelled after her brother.

"You guys find some shelter that will keep you out of this storm!" Aiden looked over his shoulder, not stopping his run.

"But I want to help!" Michelle continued.

Finally stopping, Aiden whipped around and hurried out, "no, Michelle! This is really dangerous! Mom and Dad would go _crazy _if they knew I was doing this. I don't care so much about me, but if I ever let anything happen to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself! Go with the others and find a safe place!"

Michelle grimaced, but knew there would be no changing her brother's mind. He was just as stubborn as she was, and there was no time to be arguing in circles. That was the difference between the siblings' stubbornness: Michelle knew when to back down.

"Fine," Michelle answered softly. Aiden nodded and took off once again, but not before the nervous warning of his twin sister reached his ears: "please, be careful!"

"I will!" Aiden assured as he ran.

Michelle sighed sadly and turned back to face Brandon, Sam, and Antonio. The wind had really picked up by now, and Michelle's amber locks were whipping around her angelic face.

"Where can we go that's safe?" Michelle asked statically, to no one in particular.

"The storage room of my bakery is perfect," Antonio responded. "There's not a chance of anything happening to us down there."

"Then that's where we'll go," Michelle sounded determined yet sullen all at the same time.

"Pichupi?" Pichu squeaked.

"It'll be fine, Pichu," Michelle whispered to the baby mouse on her shoulder.

_I hope._

**XXX**

It took a while, but eventually, Absol, Aiden, and Squirtle had managed to warn most of the town about the oncoming storm. The townspeople had fled to shelters and safe places, but Aiden and the two Pokémon were still standing outside. By now, the rain had started, and it was beginning to come down hard. The wind was intense; Absol's white fur was tumbling in the air, and Aiden had to hold down his hat to make sure it didn't go flying off. The thunder was growing louder by the minute and the lightning closer and more intense.

"We have to find somewhere to go, now," Aiden informed Absol and Squirtle.

The dark type dashed ahead of the trainer and his partner, sniffing out a safe place for them to stay. As Absol walked, however, he reached a certain spot where the ground gave out from underneath him, causing the Pokémon to cry out in surprise as he went crashing down into the earth.

"Absol!" Aiden cried worriedly, running over to the hole. He stopped right at the edge, but unfortunately for Aiden, Squirtle did not have as much finesse and ended up knocking the both of them down into the hole along with Absol.

"Ouch…" Aiden whined, sitting up as he rubbed at his sore head. "Man, that really hurt…"

"Squir," Squirtle agreed, moaning in pain.

Looking up towards the sky, Aiden furrowed his brow and muttered in annoyance, "Where did this hole even come from?"

The sound of maniacal laughter filled the air, now catching the attention of both Absol and Squirtle. Three figures then peered over the edge of the hole, causing Aiden to gasp and scowl.

"Team Rocket!" He barked. "I should've known it was you three losers!"

"Such a flighty little brat," Jewel drawled, smiling deviously at the irritated young trainer. ** "**Listen up, and prepare for us!

"Give up now, or we'll make a fuss!" Jason added.

"We're here to start trouble!"

"And surely burst your bubble!"

"Truth and love, we will defy!"

"Like shooting stars, we're sure to fly!"

"Jewel!"

"Jason!"

"Team Rocket, here to succeed!"

"Our great history you soon will read!"

"Sneasel, agreed!"

"I hate that stupid motto of theirs," Aiden muttered.

"Where are the other three brats?" Jason piped up, staring curiously at his female counterpart.

"Who cares, the brat boy's got two Pokémon down there for us to steal, and that's all that matters!" Jewel rolled her eyes. "Sneasel, if you would."

"Aye aye, boss!" Sneasel saluted the girl, pulling out a remote and pressing a button on the device. The balloon modeled in the ice type's appearance floated above the ill willed trio, two metal arms emerging from the bottom of the basket in order to grab Absol and Squirtle, who both cried out in surprise.

"Hey, those Pokémon aren't yours!" Aiden snapped.

"Excuse you, but I don't see a name written on them!" Jason supplemented in a sing song voice.

Growling, Absol reached up with his claws, which began to glow a fierce shade of crimson. He batted at the metal arm behind him, managing to break the column with his attack.

"Wow, that was night slash!" Aiden marveled, having managed to pull himself up to the top of the hole.

Absol landed skillfully on his paws and glared up at the balloon, most specifically on the still captured and struggling Squirtle. Soon, his narrowed eyes began to glow a glittering blue, causing Aiden to awe in anticipation.

"What does that Pokémon think it's doing?!" Jewel barked, with a concerned Jason and Sneasel ogling behind her.

After a few moments of nothingness, a bright blue strike of lightning shot out of the dark clouds that had covered the sky. It was magnificent; so bright that it lit up the entire town, and so loud that it sounded as if an entire tree had just been snapped in half. The impressive bolt hit the Sneasel balloon, causing it to explode and go racing towards the ground. Squirtle was obviously petrified, but the metal clamp that was around him broke and freed the little blue turtle.

"Was that future sight?!" Aiden gasped. He was truly amazed by watching Absol battle; the dark type sure was a strong Pokémon.

The balloon crashed into the ground, creating a sizeable explosion that sent Team Rocket flying with the familiar cry of, "we're blasting off again!"

The blast caused Squirtle to fall and skid into Absol's front legs, the dark type simply staring down at the blue turtle. Suddenly, a cloud of smoke engulfed the two Pokémon as well as the young trainer peering out of the hole. All three looked towards where Team Rocket's balloon had crashed, and were stunned to discover that it was now on fire.

"Oh no!" Aiden jumped out of the hole and ran next to the two Pokémon. The fire was fierce and spreading quickly; Aiden knew that if they didn't stop it soon, the whole town might go up in flames. Grimacing, Aiden knew there wasn't much Absol could do, being a dark type. Growlithe, a fire type, had an even bigger disadvantage. Squirtle was a water type, but all he knew was bubble.

"It'll have to do…" Aiden grumbled. "Squirtle, use bubble on the fire!"

The water type nodded emphatically before shooting a stream of bubbles out at the blaze. They popped as they hit the flames, doing hardly anything to control the fire. Squirtle growled in annoyance and tried the attack again, but it still failed to stop anything.

"Squirtle, you just have to try harder!" Aiden encouraged his Pokémon.

Putting a determined look on his face, Squirtle leaned his chest forward and opened his mouth to unleash another attack. But this time, it wasn't a bubble attack. Instead, a stream of water shot out, making direct contact with the fire and extinguishing it to some extent.

Shocked, Aiden could barely blink as he murmured, "Squirtle…did you just learn water gun?"

"Squir!" Squirtle confirmed, turning around as he banged on his chest.

"That's awesome!" Aiden grinned. "Keep using water gun on the fire! Put it out!"

Squirtle used his newly acquired attack on repeat, firing off different water guns at various points of the flames. After a while, the fire was completely put out, although the heavily falling rain had undoubtedly helped Squirtle in his efforts.

"Great job, Squirtle," Aiden complimented his partner with a smile.

"Squirtle squirt Squirtle!" Squirtle chattered away. Absol breathed out quietly, giving the water type a small nod of approval.

Another crack of lightning split the sky, causing Aiden to take a sharp inhale and gaze upwards. Groaning, he looked back down at the Pokémon and informed them, "we really should find shelter now. Before it gets any more dangerous out here."

Squirtle agreed and ran after Aiden. The boy was surprised, however, when Absol turned on his heels and dashed off in the opposite direction.

"Hey, Absol, come back!" Aiden called. He went to ran after the dark type, but just as he did, a strong wind knocked down an already loose tree knew the boy and blocked his path. Aiden's eyes widened in fear as he stumbled back from the fallen trunk, Squirtle gripping at his leg.

"Squir! Squirtle!" The little turtle yelled.

"I know…but…Absol…" Aiden frowned.

Shoulders sagging, Aiden knew there was nothing he could do. It was just too dangerous to be staying outside. He and Squirtle had to find shelter. All Aiden could do was hope that Absol would find someplace safe to go.

**XXX**

By late afternoon, the mismatched group of three trainers and an adult found themselves still sitting in the basement of Antonio's bakery. Brandon was talking to Sam and Antonio to pass the time, but Michelle was not as content doing such things. Instead, she was sitting with her back against the wall, holding a hand over her heart and staring down at her shoes in intense fashion.

"Pi?" Pichu squeaked, her ears flicking.

"I'm just really worried about Aiden, that's all," Michelle whispered, afraid that Brandon or Sam would hear her. "My heart just keeps racing…I feel like he's in danger."

"Chu," Pichu breathed. She jumped off of the coordinator's shoulder and ran up the staircase that led into the main part of the bakery. Blinking, Michelle got to her feet and followed after the baby Pokémon, curious as to where she was going. Once at the top of the stairs, Michelle found Pichu with her front paws pressed against the big glass window, staring outside at the now perfectly sunny day.

"The storm must have blown over," Michelle murmured.

"What's going on up there, Michelle?" Brandon poked his head out of the staircase.

"It's nice outside now," Michelle motioned towards the window to prove her point. "The storm passed."

Brandon fully emerged, with Sam and Antonio following closely behind. They all observed the sunlight and smiled, clearly pleased that they were no longer in any immediate danger.

"Now that it's over, we have to go find Aiden," Michelle turned on a heel to face the males.

"What?" Sam scoffed. "You're worried about him?"

"Yes, I am," Michelle answered unabashedly. "He's my brother."

Sam and even Brandon were taken off guard by this. Michelle never much showed outward affection for her twin. Most of the time, she was picking on him or starting a fight with the raven haired boy. Now, however, she sounded genuinely concerned, and neither of the trainers standing before her were going to try and deny her of this request.

So, they all hurried outside, Pichu gripping Michelle's shoulder as she ran around town searching for her brother and the two Pokémon that had been accompanying him.

"Aiden!" Michelle called, cupping her hands around her mouth to make her voice reverberate. "Aiden!"

At the same time, the raven haired boy and Squirtle were peering out from inside a hollowed tree trunk, where they had decided to take refuge for the duration of the storm. Now that it was clear out, Aiden deemed that he and Squirtle could leave the shelter and reunite with the others.

"I wonder where they all are," Aiden murmured. "Do you think still in the basement of Antonio's bakery?"

"Squir," Squirtle shrugged.

"I really wish I knew where Absol went," Aiden frowned. "I hope nothing bad happened to him in the storm."

"Aiden!"

The boy looked up and caught sight of his sister wandering around, calling out his name. Brandon, Sam, and Antonio were all trailing closely behind, seemingly all of them looking for him.

"Hey, Shelly, I'm over here!" Aiden yelled, waving his hands in the air.

Spinning on her toes, Michelle saw her brother and just beamed. Giggling, she ran over to the trainer and jumped at him, giving him a tight hug. "Aiden! I'm so happy you're okay!"

Chuckling, Aiden hugged his sister back and teased, "What, did you doubt me?"

"No," Michelle pulled away, smirking at her twin. "I just had that weird telepathy thing going on and I felt that you were worried. So…_I_ got worried."

"Oh, that must've been when Absol used future sight on Team Rocket's balloon and created a fire," Aiden answered breezily.

"What?" Michelle's face fell.

Aiden's eyes widened slightly as he backtracked, "well, no, we're all fine! It was kinda' cool, actually. Squirtle learned water gun! And that's how we put the fire out."

"So where's Absol?" Brandon piped up from behind the flustered coordinator who was staring her brother down with incredulous eyes.

Frowning, Aiden sighed and pulled back his shoulders as he admitted, "I don't know. We were going to look for shelter after we put out the fire, and Absol just ran off. I really wanted him to come with us, but he wouldn't listen to me."

Chuckling in the background, Sam stepped forward and clicked his tongue a few times before giving Aiden a taunting glance. "It figures you wouldn't be able to get that Absol under control, Aidy Boy."

Aiden scowled at this nickname. He absolutely _hated _it; Sam had been calling him "Aidy Boy" ever since Aiden could remember. "You don't even know what you're talking about!"

"I do, and it's exactly what I've always thought would happen," Sam drawled, a devious smirk on his face, "you can't control Pokémon."

"Yes I can!" Aiden argued, clenching his teeth together.

"Prove it."

"Fine!" Aiden's hands balled into fists. "Battle me!"

Smirking, Sam pulled a poke ball off of his belt and cackled lowly, "I thought you'd never ask."

**XXX**

Standing apart from one another on an open field in the town, Sam and Aiden were both glaring at one another, getting their minds into battle mode.

"This battle between Sam and Aiden will be a one on one match!" Brandon was acting as referee for the battle. "Trainers, release your Pokémon!"

"Raticate, let's go!" Sam threw his selected poke ball.

"Well, that's not a very cute Pokémon," Michelle commented as she pulled out her light blue poke dex to scan the big rat.

_Raticate, the mouse Pokémon. Raticate have teeth strong enough to knaw through steel. The whiskers on their face are used to maintain balance._

"Pi," Pichu spat, clearly unhappy that she was considered a mouse alongside that terrifying thing.

"Raticate is a normal type," Aiden muttered to himself, choosing one of his poke ball, "so I'm gonna go with Growl-"

"Sol!"

Aiden raised an eyebrow and looked behind him, where the sound had come from. Standing on a tree branch and surveying the scene happening below him was none other than Absol.

"Absol, you came back!" Aiden grinned.

Nodding just once, the dark type leapt down from the branch and stood proudly in front of Aiden, fur slightly bristled as he stared down Raticate.

"Huh?" Aiden blinked. "What's up, Absol?"

"Aiden, I think that Absol wants to help you battle Sam," Michelle spoke up slowly, still observing the scene in front of her.

"You really think so?" Aiden murmured before asking Absol, "is that true? You want to battle with me?" Absol looked behind him and nodded, much to Aiden's delight. Grinning, Aiden pumped a fist and cheered, "That's awesome! Okay, Absol! Let's do our best!"

"Sol!"

"I've never seen that before," Sam grumbled, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why does a wild Pokémon want to battle with such a lousy trainer like Aiden?"

"Because Aiden gained Absol's trust by believing he wasn't a bad Pokémon and helping him to warn the townspeople about the storm," Brandon answered easily. It seemed clear to him why Absol had made the decision he had.

"Which means that Aiden is _not _a lousy trainer," Michelle shot Sam a judgmental look, the brunette boy backing away in slight fear.

"Battle, begin!" Brandon called.

"We'll go first, thank you very much," Sam snickered. "Raticate, use bite!"

The large rat ran towards Absol, opening his mouth to reveal his two large and sharp front teeth. Absol pulled his paws back and crouched down low, not once taking his eyes off of the normal type.

"Absol, dodge and use night slash!" Aiden ordered.

The dark type jumped in the air, flying right over Raticate. While still hanging in the air, Absol's claws began to glow crimson. Shifting his weight, Absol began to fall towards the ground. Holding his glowing claws out in front of him, Absol managed to swipe Raticate across the face with his claws, causing the rat to cry out in serious pain.

"Raticate!" Sam called out in worry. Snarling at Aiden, Sam tried to shake out his anger as he commanded, "its fine, just use tackle!"

Raticate got up and began to run towards Absol once again. With a small huff, Absol didn't even wait for Aiden's next call as he skirted over to the side and created several copies of himself, all of which stood in a guarded circle around the now confused Raticate.

"You know double team too, huh?" Aiden murmured, a smile growing on his face.

"Ra?" Raticate questioned, looking around the circle and searching for the real Absol.

"Don't get confused, Raticate!" Sam pointed at the carbon copies. "Just tackle them all until you find the real Absol!"

Raticate did exactly that, but had little luck in managing to make contact with the real Absol. After knocking out all of the clones and tiring himself out, Raticate was faced with the real Absol towering over him in intimidating fashion. Before Raticate could react, Absol charged forward so quickly that streaks of white appeared behind the Pokémon. Leaning his head down, Absol rammed it into Raticate's midsection, sending the normal type flying.

"Wow, what a quick attack!" Michelle marveled.

"Great job, Absol!" Aiden complimented the dark type.

"You think Absol is so special just because he can use quick attack?" Sam scoffed. "How sad. Raticate, how about we show them _your _quick attack?"

Raticate charged towards Absol in the same fashion that the other Pokémon had just done to him. The mouse Pokémon finally made contact with Absol, knocking the white furred Pokémon down to the ground.

"Absol, you okay?" Aiden called. Absol managed to jump back up quite easily, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at Raticate. "Great, let's finish this up! Use future sight!"

Absol's eyes began to glow blue and sparkle, much to the bewilderment of both Raticate and Sam. They soon stopped glowing and nothing happened, causing the brown haired trainer and his rat Pokémon to start laughing incessantly.

"Wow, what a useless attack!" Sam guffawed. "All it did was give Absol pretty eyes! How pathetic!"

Suddenly, a strike of lightning appeared from the bright blue sky and hit Raticate, electrocuting the Pokémon and knocking him out right away. Sam's jaw dropped, and he looked up to give Aiden a horrifying stare.

"Not so pathetic now, huh?" Aiden smirked.

"Raticate is unable to battle!" Brandon announced. "Which means the winner of this match is Absol and Aiden!"

"We did it, Absol!" Aiden congratulated the Pokémon standing before him.

"Ab," Absol nodded calmly.

Running up to her brother, Michelle smiled at the boy and declared, "That was a great battle, Aiden!"

"Thanks, but it was all thanks to Absol's hard work!" Aiden beamed. "He's a great battler."

"You and Absol worked very well together, Aiden."

The raven haired boy let out a small, confused squeak as he looked up, realizing that it was Antonio who was now talking to him.

"I must apologize for before, how I believed Absol was a bad Pokémon and for wanting to capture it so cruelly," Antonio frowned. "Please, accept my apology."

"Of course, Absol's not hurt, and we all know the truth now," Aiden nodded just once.

Grinning, Antonio continued, "I really think you and Absol would make a great team. You've both got a lot of potential."

"I guess, but I think that maybe Absol wants to stay a wild Pokémon," Aiden glanced down at the dark type. "What do you say?"

Absol looked up and Aiden and tilted his head, murmuring a quiet, "sol. Absol sol ab."

Aiden didn't understand it, of course, but obviously Pichu did, because she began to grow very excited, squeaking and letting out excited shouts of "chu! Pi!" from Michelle's shoulder.

"What is it, Pichu?" Michelle asked her baby Pokémon. "Does Absol _want_ to be Aiden's Pokémon? Is that what he said?"

"Pi!" Pichu squealed again, nodding her head so vigorously that her ears bobbed up and down.

"So, that's it, huh?" Aiden was really smiling now. "You wanna' train together, Absol?"

"Sol," Absol confirmed.

"Well, that's awesome!" Aiden pulled out an empty poke ball and held it in front of him. "Welcome to the team, Absol!"

A red light was emitted from the center of the poke ball that quickly engulfed Absol and sucked him into the sphere. It shook in Aiden's hand for a few seconds before settling down with a quiet, but still audible, _click._

"Alright!" Aiden cheered, holding the poke ball up in the air. "I caught an Absol!"

"Just because you won one battle against me, don't go thinking you're such a great trainer," Sam bit suddenly.

Aiden growled and turned on a heel so he could face Sam. "I never said that I was."

"I'm just making sure you keep that in mind," Sam turned and started to walk away. "Next time we battle, you're not going to be so lucky."

"We'll see about that!" Aiden argued. But Sam just kept walking away, leaving Aiden with just one last gesture:

A simple wave of his hand.

* * *

**Yep, just like Gary ;)**

**So here we have the introduction of Aiden's first rival, and it's none other than Gary Oak's son. You'll learn more about Sam and the nature of his relationship with Aiden as the story progresses. **

**And while the change in Michelle's attitude towards Aiden might have seemed sudden, it really isn't. She and Aiden have the same reltionship their parents did, but obviously not in a romantic way. They fight A LOT and call each other names, but really they love one another and for siblings are extremely close. They also do have that sort of "twin telepathy" thing going on where they can feel each other's emotions when they get too extreme.**

**Also, a new Pokemon the team! Yay Absol :) I've always found Absol to be a cool Pokemon.**

**I was so happy to get this chapter out to you guys! And I made it super extra long to make up for all the weeks you didn't have an update ;) So, leave me a review, please? I'm going to start working on the next chapter right away!**


	17. Breed to Succeed!

**SURPRISE!**

**That's right, my faithful readers! An actual new chapter of A New Era, A New Adventure! I honestly feel so bad about the lack of updates this story has been reccieving. The problem is that the chapters for this story are SO long, and take so long to actually write out and perfect. Such hard work is hard to do in college, especially when you hate said college. It's hard to concentrate and devote time to it. So, I do truly apologize for the wait. Fortunately, this chapter is super long, and was hopefully worth the wait! I've already started on the next chapter, as well.**

**Last time: Aiden, being the son of the Pokemon Master, was touted to capture a trouble making Absol. Unfortunately for him, Aiden was paired up to do this alongside his life long rival, Sam Oak. Even worse, the two boys didn't agree on how Absol should be caught, or why it was even misbehaving! In the end, it turns out Absol was only trying to warn the town it was "tormenting" of an incoming disaster, and that it wasn't a bad Pokemon at all! And, after a battle with the dark type, Aiden managed to capture him and make Absol the newest part of his team!**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Breed to Succeed!**

Brandon couldn't sleep.

He and the Ketchum siblings had reached a medium sized town called Payne City, and the three were staying in the town's Pokémon Center. For one reason or another, however, Brandon was feeling sort of down. He hadn't even attempted to flirt with Nurse Joy, which Aiden and Michelle had found more than strange.

Sighing, Brandon sat up and slid out of bed, opening the window and climbing out of it with ease. He had always been an agile boy, he just didn't showcase it often. Once outside on the grass, Brandon pulled out the poke ball that he always kept with him. Enlarging it, he pressed the center button and freed his partner Pokémon: Cranidos.

"Cran?" Cranidos asked sleepily, staring up in confusion at his trainer.

"Sorry for waking you up, Cranidos," Brandon smiled sympathetically. "I was just kind of lonely, I guess."

Cranidos nodded and sat down by Brandon's feet, looking up into the sky. The dark haired boy followed his Pokémon's actions, staring up at the twinkling stars with particular interest. Tilting his head down, Cranidos then chose to shuffle over to Brandon's side, poking at the boy with one of his claws.

"Hm?" Brandon asked, looking down at his bewildered Pokémon.

"Cran?" Cranidos inquired.

"I don't really know what's bothering me," Brandon shrugged. "I'm just feeling kind of down. Its fun watching Aiden win gym badges and Michelle compete in her Contests, but I feel like I'm doing nothing. I know there isn't much for an aspiring Pokémon Breeder to do other than hone their skills, but still. I wish I could do something competitive like those two. I need a challenge."

Cranidos sighed tiredly and nuzzled against his trainer's side. Smiling sadly, Brandon stroked his partner's head before continuing to stare up into the night sky.

_What can I do?_

**XXX**

The next morning, Aiden and Michelle were surprised to find that Brandon was not in the room. Rather, they found him right outside the window, busily cooking over a fire that he had kindled using sticks.

"Hey, Brandon, what're you doing makin' breakfast?" Aiden asked his friend, causing the slightly older boy to look up. "We're at a Pokémon Center, ya know. They've got food here!"

"Not that we don't like your food," Michelle added, squeezing in next to Aiden. "We just thought you would get to sleep in and not have to do any extra work today!"

Chuckling, Brandon continued to stir the pot full of mixed ingredients and refuted, "nah, its fine! I was in the mood to cook. Come on, get dressed and come outside! Breakfast is almost ready."

Aiden and Michelle threw other confused looks, but nevertheless, the twins changed into their day clothes, gathered their poke balls, and headed outside to where Brandon was situated. He had already set up a picnic blanket along with the bowls and spoons they would all need to eat their meal. Brandon had even set up the Pokémon's food, as evidenced by Numel, who was busily eating. Cranidos, on the other hand, was helping Brandon to finish his cooking.

"Man, you really kept yourself busy this morning, huh?" Aiden glanced at his best friend.

"Of course!" Brandon nodded, not even looking over his shoulder. "It's what I do."

"Are you okay, Brandon?" Michelle sounded fairly concerned. "You've been acting kind of strange."

"I'm just fine!" Brandon's voice was a bit too cheerful for Michelle to believe. He jumped up from his crouching position and hurried over to the red head with a bottle in hand. "Here's Pichu's milk!" And then he scurried back to sit in front of the silver pot.

"…thanks…" Michelle blinked. Pichu, who was being cradled in the coordinator's arms, began to mewl penuriously for her food. Smiling, Michelle positioned the bottle in front of Pichu's mouth and giggled lovingly when the baby electric type began to eat ravenously from it.

"Michelle…" Aiden dragged his sister away by her shoulders until they were out of Brandon's ear shot, "Brandon is acting _really _weird."

"I know!" Michelle's eyes widened. "I don't understand what's up with him."

"He's being _way _too happy," Aiden raised an eyebrow, "but…it feels like he's sad."

"I think he's just putting up a front," Michelle agreed.

"So…what do we do?"

"Well, first we have to figure out what's actually bothering him," Michelle pressed her lips together. "We're not going to get anywhere just by making guesses or assumptions."

"How are we supposed to get the truth out of him?" Aiden folded his arms.

Twisting her mouth, Michelle thought silently for a few moments before grinning at her twin and announcing, "I have an idea!"

She skipped back over to where Brandon was just finishing making breakfast for the humans. He could feel her shadow casted over him, and after a few seconds, he looked up to smile at the young coordinator.

"What's up, Michelle?" He asked brightly.

"Why are you depressed?" Michelle came right out with it. Brandon pulled a look of surprise, while Aiden squeaked and jumped forward, shoving his face right into his sister's.

"Michelle, what are you even doing?!" Aiden was waving his arms wildly. "_That _was your big plan?!"

"It was blunt," Michelle shrugged.

"Yeah, no kidding!"

"Guys, I already told you, I'm not sad about anything!" Brandon chuckled.

"Oh that is _such _a lie," Michelle rolled her eyes.

"Huh?" Brandon's interest was clearly piqued.

"Michelle's right, bro," Aiden shook his head. "There's definitely something up with you. We're not stupid, you know."

Michelle sniggered at this, and Aiden threw her a patented glare that was obviously learned from their mother.

"Guys, really, I'm fine," Brandon murmured. He was starting to sound less and less convincing, however.

"Brandon, come on, we know you're not," Michelle's voice softened as she shuffled closer to the future breeder. Kneeling down next to him, with Pichu still in her arms, Michelle smiled encouragingly at her longtime friend and encouraged, "you can tell us anything, you know."

"Yeah, we're not gonna' tease you or anything," Aiden smiled. "We just wanna' help you!"

Sighing, Brandon took the pot off the fire and put it down on the table. Turning to look at his two friends once again, Brandon continued, "fine. I've been feeling a little down lately."

"That much is obvious," Michelle lowered her arms as the now full Pichu jumped up onto her shoulder. "But why?"

Poking his fingers together, Brandon avoided eye contact with either Michelle or Aiden by staring at the ground and muttering, "it's just that…it's been so great watching you guys follow your dreams and compete in all those battles and contests. But I feel so…useless. And bored. I've got no competitions to do."

"Aw, come on Brandon, you could totally challenge a gym!" Aiden cocked a determined fist. "You're the son of a gym leader, after all. Just like me! You'd kick some serious butt!"

"But I don't _want _to challenge gyms," Brandon frowned. "I want to be a breeder, very much. There's just nothing for me to do where I can practice my skills. I can only utilize them for cooking and taking care of our Pokémon when they get sick or injured. But after a while, that gets kind of old. I need something to change it up."

"Hey, did you say you're a Pokémon breeder?"

The three young trainers all looked towards the Pokémon Center, where it sounded like the voice was coming from. Indeed, there was a girl standing not far away, smiling at the group.

"Hey, look Brandon, it's a pretty girl!" Aiden called out dumbly.

"I'm not even in the mood to chase after beautiful women," Brandon sighed, leaning back even more against the table. "But yeah, I'm training to be a breeder."

"That's awesome!" The girl raced over to Brandon, and it was now obvious that she was holding a stack of papers in her hands. "My name's Liana and I'm also a breeder! I was just coming by the Pokémon Center to advertise the breeding competition happening in town today!"

"Breeding competition?" Brandon murmured.

"Yes, Payne City is a renowned place for Pokémon breeders from all over the world to come and practice their craft," Liana explained, "so, every year, we hold a breeding competition in order for breeders to show off what they know. It's great! You learn a whole bunch from the other breeders, and you can even win prizes! It's awesome."

Brandon jumped up, his face much brighter than it'd been only seconds ago. This was exactly the kind of thing he was looking for! It was perfect!

"Oh, Liana!" Brandon swooned, grabbing the girl's hands and finally marveling over her beauty: mousse brown hair that curled in above her shoulders, very slightly tanned skin, and olive green eyes. "You are truly my guardian angel! A beauty bestowed upon me by the heavens above!"

"And there he goes," Michelle sighed, shaking her head, "back to normal."

**XXX**

After signing up for the competition, Brandon and the twins headed over to the main site of the actual event: town square. Liana had led them there, and during the walk, explained to Brandon what the breeding competition was all about.

"Basically, there are three rounds in the competition," Liana held up three fingers and pressed on each one as she recited the rounds, "grooming, feeding, and first aid."

"Sounds like what Brandon does alright," Aiden nodded.

"The first round is grooming," Liana continued. "In the grooming round, you have to show off how well you can care for a Pokémon's overall appearance. Using one of your own Pokémon, the judges will examine the Pokémon's coat, body structure, and appearance to the eye."

"That round seems like a bunch of fun, for a coordinator," Michelle giggled.

"After that is the feeding round," Liana tapped on her second finger. "It consists of making a certain kind of Pokémon food, depending on the Pokémon's type. You'll be given the type classification before the round begins, and then you'll have to rely on your breeder knowledge in order to make the perfect meal for that kind of Pokémon."

"Brandon should do awesome at that, because we have all different types of Pokémon, and he makes food for all of them!" Aiden grinned.

"The final round is the first aid stage," Liana smiled. "One of the most important aspects of being a breeder is having the ability to heal a Pokémon when it's injured or sick. In the first aid round, you'll be asked to create a certain type of medicine for a randomized Pokémon ailment, as well as provide a demonstration for a specific type of Pokémon injury."

"This all sounds very interesting," Brandon noted. "Do you guys really think I can do this, though?"

"Of course!" Michelle giggled.

"Pi-chu!" The baby mouse on her shoulder squealed.

"This is your whole life," Aiden added. "There's no way you could fail!"

When they reached town square, the four young trainers found the competition being set up by four males, all of whom seemed to bare a resemblance to Liana.

"Erik, Davey, Cameron, Presley!" Liana called, waving at the four boys.

"Liana, you know those guys?" Michelle asked curiously.

"I sure do, they're my brothers!" Liana giggled. "They're in charge of setting up the competition, since they no longer compete in them."

"So they're breeders too?" Brandon asked.

"Of course! My whole family is. Our mother, father, and even our grandparents are all breeders! It's a family affair."

"Just like how being a Pokémon Master runs in our family!" Aiden's eyes were bright.

"No, because _Dad _is the first member of our family to be Pokémon Master," Michelle rolled her eyes. "You're just _planning_ on making it run in our family."

"Sure am," Aiden puffed his chest out.

"No way! You're the Pokémon Master's children!"

The tallest, and seemingly oldest, of the four brothers approached Aiden and Michelle, smiling hugely at them.

"That's right!" Aiden nodded. "Aiden and Michelle Ketchum, to be exact!"

Smacking her brother swiftly on the back of the head, causing him to yelp, Michelle narrowed her eyes and cried, "I thought we weren't going to use Dad's fame on ourselves!"

"I'm not!" Aiden whined. "He pointed it out first!"

"Erik, is the set up almost done?" Liana asked.

"Just about!" Erik nodded, some dark brown hair falling into his hazel eyes.

"So, Liana, have you ever won the breeding competition before?" Aiden asked.

"No, this is my first year entering," Liana shook her head. "But I really hope I do well and make my family proud! Erik won his first breeding competition when he was my age, and that was eight years ago now."

"So he's 18, huh?" Michelle looked the older boy up and down.

"That's right!" Liana nodded. "And Davey is 16, Cameron is 15, and Presley is 12. I'm 10, so I'm the youngest, and the only girl."

"But you'll be just as good a breeder as the rest of us!" One of the brothers, who was just slightly shorter than Erik, assured Liana.

"Thanks Davey," Liana blushed slightly. "So, Brandon, which Pokémon are you going to use for the first round?"

"You said it's the grooming round, right?" Brandon pressed.

"Uh huh."

"Well, in that case, I think I'm going to go with…" Brandon trailed off as he rubbed his chin and thought silently to himself. After a few moments of deliberation, Brandon reached to his belt and plucked off a poke ball, tossing it in the air and releasing his chosen Pokémon; Numel.

"Num?" Numel looked around curiously.

"Numel, huh?" Aiden asked.

"Yep," Brandon nodded. "I figured that Numel and I could use some more practice as far as working as partners is concerned, so what better way to fit that in than at a breeding competition?"

"That's a great idea, Brandon!" Michelle complimented.

"So, Liana, which Pokémon will _you _be using?" Brandon swooned, moving in towards the brunette girl.

Liana seemed surprised for a second, but she quickly regained her composure and winked at the aspiring male breeder before her. "I'll show you!"

Retrieving her own poke ball, Liana tossed the sphere, causing it to burst open and release a flourish of blue light that eventually materialized into her chosen Pokémon; Vulpix.

"Aw, what a cutie!" Michelle squealed. "Just like Clarisse's Vulpix!"

"Oh yeah, your rival has a Vulpix, too!" Brandon beamed. Oddly enough, Aiden didn't say anything.

"Vulpix is my number one Pokémon," Liana giggled, picking the little fox Pokémon up in her arms. "She's such a little sweetheart!"

"And her coat is beautiful; thick and shiny," Brandon noted, stroking the fire type on its head, causing it to mewl happily. "I think I'm in trouble with you two!"

"You'll do great, Brandon!" Liana cheered. "I'm sure of it."

Kneeling down, Brandon patted Numel on his head and instructed, "okay, Numel. You and I are entering this breeding contest, and we're going to win, together, as partners! What do you say? Are you gonna' help me out?"

Numel's only response was a long, sleepy yawn, which caused Brandon to face fault and his two travelling buddies to laugh freely.

**XXX**

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the annual Payne City breeding tournament!"

Aiden and Michelle had taken seats in the set up bleachers, ready to watch Brandon compete with many other breeders.

"This is going to be so awesome!" Michelle gushed. "I've never seen a breeding tournament before. I wonder what it will be like!"

"There's no battling, so it might not be as exciting as a gym match or a Contest," Aiden mused. "But I do love Pokémon, so it'll still be awesome!"

Brandon was standing behind the announcer, right beside Liana and all of the other contestants. They had already been situated at their grooming stations, chosen Pokémon in front of them as they waited for the first round to actually get underway.

"Alright, Numel," Brandon murmured to his dual type Pokémon. "This is it! Get ready!"

Numel simply let out a puff of air. From beside the duo, Liana giggled, her cheeks glowing a rosy pink as she laughed. Brandon sighed happily; he thought the girl was absolutely lovely.

"We begin today's tournament with the first round: grooming!" The announcer yelled into his microphone, bringing up applause from the audience. "The breeders will all have five minutes to give their Pokémon's coat and overall appearance a final boost, after which the judges will examine each one and determine the points awarded for the first round! And…BEGIN!"

Brandon had already given Numel a bit of a touch up before the start of the tournament, but he figured a bit more brushing couldn't hurt. Using the short bristled brush, the young breeder stroked the numb Pokémon's fur. Numel mewled happily in appreciation, enjoying the simple but calming action. Turning his head, Brandon watched Liana as she gave Vulpix a final grooming. She was fixing the fox Pokémon's top tuft of orange hair, adjusting the curls and making sure they were all an equal size. Once Liana was sure the curls looked precise and well executed, she reached into her grooming bag and pulled out a shiny, olive green bow that perfectly matched the color of her eyes. Liana gently clipped the accessory between Vulpix's bangs and perfectly curled fur tuft, making sure it was even.

"Vul!" Vulpix crooned happily once the bow had been properly affixed.

"You sure do love your bows, don't you, Vulpix?" Liana smiled.

The fox Pokémon swished her elegant tail back and forth in pure contentedness. Just from the way the Pokémon acted, Brandon could tell that Liana's Vulpix was older and more seasoned than Clarisse's Vulpix whom they had previously encountered.

The five minutes was up fairly quickly, and with that settled, it was time for the judges to make their way around and examine all of the entered Pokémon. Brandon was fortunate enough to get a male judge. Had it been a pretty girl (or woman…) Brandon knew he would've lost control of himself. _Curse my good looks and boyish charm._

"Hmm…this is an excellent looking Numel you've got here," the judge complimented Brandon.

"Thank you, sir!" Brandon beamed at the man.

The judge leaned in closer to Numel to better examine the dual type's coat. He gently ran his fingers over the numb Pokémon's mostly yellow coat, feeling for the softness of his fur. Numel let out a happy noise, causing Brandon to chuckle.

"Thick and soft fur," the judge nodded, standing up to his full height and writing something down on the clipboard he had with him. "And it looks like he has great structure. A good sized hump and strong legs." Leaning in once again, the judge examined the patch of green fur that covered Numel's hump. "The green fur blends into the yellow fur perfectly. No unkempt lines…and the spots are nicely shaped. Round, no funny looking shapes."

Numel tilted his head to the side, looking ready to fall over. Shrieking silently, Brandon pulled the numb Pokémon down by his near legs, smiling innocently at the judge when he gave the young breeder a bewildered look.

"Well, this is really a perfect example of how a Numel should look," the judge nodded, scribbling some other notes onto his clipboard. "Thank you!"

"No, thank _you,_" Brandon smiled, watching the judge as he wandered off. _Never mind, _Brandon thought spritely to himself, _my boyish charm rules!_

"And that completes the first round of the breeding tournament!" The MC took the microphone once again. "We have the standings for the first round right here…coming in third place with a total of 25 points, is Hermes!"

Blinking, Brandon leaned forward, trying to see exactly who this contestant was. He got an answer before he could even spot the guy, however. A low growl sounding from Liana's throat seemed to indicate that he was bad news.

"Liana, do you know that guy?" Brandon asked curiously.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Liana huffed.

Brandon had a lot more questions to ask of his newfound friend, but these inquiries were cut off by the booming voice of the tournament announcer.

"In second place, with a total of 30 points, is Brandon!"

_This _certainly piqued the young breeder's interest. Liana clapped for him and smiled at the boy, bringing a considerable blush to his tan cheeks.

"And, in first place for the grooming round, with a grand total of 35 points," the announcer finished, "is Liana!"

This seemed to come as a surprise to the brunette girl, whose body tensed up despite the glowing smile on her face. Brandon clapped for the girl just as he had done for her.

"Second place in the first round? Not too bad," Aiden smirked at his sister.

"Yeah, I bet he'll do really great in the next round, too!" Michelle beamed. "Brandon does love to cook, after all."

With a break between the first and second rounds, Brandon managed to take Liana by the arm and pull her in closer, whispering in a low voice so no one else would hear, "Liana, who is Hermes?"

"He's just a big jerk," Liana sighed, rolling her eyes just at the mention of his name. "We've sort of been rivals ever since we were kids. He's got two older brothers who have competed against my brothers before, so that rivalry kind of got passed on to us. Hermes is completely full of himself, it's the worst."

As if on cue, a dark blonde boy approached Liana and Brandon, a fairly mischievous smile set on his pale face. Liana growled lowly, while Brandon didn't look too impressed either.

"What do you want, Hermes?" Liana bit acidly.

"Is that any way to greet your old friend?" Hermes purred, causing Liana to roll her olive green eyes. "I'm disappointed in you, Liana! I thought you were raised better than that."

"Better than you were, that's for sure," Liana scoffed.

Hermes seemed disturbed by this snide comment, but his obvious annoyance was quickly replaced by an air of curiosity as he set his beady, gray eyes on a stoic looking Brandon.

"And who is this?" Hermes drawled. "I've never seen this charming young fellow around before."

Raising an eyebrow, Brandon offered a hesitant hand to the stuck up breeder and supplied, "I'm…Brandon. It's uh…nice to meet you?"

Shaking the darker boy's hand, Hermes smirked and countered, "a pleasure…for you." He started laughing, causing Brandon's expression to shift into one of distaste. Rolling her eyes yet again, Liana tore Hermes' hand away from Brandon's and started to pull the boy away by his arm.

"Come on, Brandon," Liana ushered quietly.

"Liana, dear, where in the world are you going?" Hermes gasped. "I was simply making a little joke. It's all in good fun!"

"Not when you're a complete jerk it's not," Liana shot back.

"You don't have to be such a sore loser, Liana," Hermes frowned.

"A sore loser?!" Liana was offended. "I beat you in the first round! What in the world are you talking about?"

"I simply mean that you're jealous of my dear Wigglytuff," Hermes smirked evilly, motioning down towards his equally devious looking Pokémon. "We all know he's much better than that silly little Vulpix of yours."

The fox Pokémon standing by her trainer's feet snarled. A red tint appearing on the girl's face, she scooped up her fire type and huffed, "your Wigglytuff isn't that great, you know. And I love my Vulpix! She's a wonderful Pokémon, and suggesting anything otherwise is just stupid."

"Let's see how that works out for you in the second round," Hermes scoffed, striding away with his Wigglytuff hopping alongside. They left behind a visibly angry Liana and Brandon, both of whom were silently vowing to beat Hermes at his own game.

Aiden and Michelle had watched the entire exchange from the stands, although they weren't entirely sure of what had just happened. All they knew was that Liana and Brandon both seemed pretty ticked off, and the blonde guy they'd been talking to came off as an arrogant jerk.

"Wonder what's going on down there," Aiden mumbled.

"I'm curious about that guy's Wigglytuff," Michelle mused, pulling out her light blue poke dex to scan the Pokémon.

_Wigglytuff, the balloon Pokémon, and the evolved form of Jigglypuff. Wigglytuff are capable of inflating themselves into large sizes in order to scare off enemies. By inhaling air, it can inflate itself, enabling it to float through the air._

"That's a pretty cool Pokémon," Michelle noted, putting her poke dex back in her bag. "I wonder if it's gonna' be a problem for Brandon …"

It was soon time for the next round; the feeding round. The participating breeders all gathered in a straight line, waiting to pick out their type classification from the tournament host. When he got to Brandon, the young breeder reached into the bowl and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which upon its unfurling, revealed which type of Pokémon he'd be making food for.

"What did you get?" Liana asked curiously. She had selected her type right before Brandon and had already told him her result: poison.

Reading off of his strip of paper, Brandon answered Liana, "I got fire type food." Already, Brandon had a great idea for what to do. He was pretty skilled in making fire type specialty foods, thanks to having Numel, Ponyta, and Growlithe around.

Hermes, however, was not quite ready to let Brandon win. Even from several feet away, he could read the boy's strip of paper and was able to tell that he had drawn fire. Hermes' own random selection had been normal types, the most boring kind of food to make. All normal types had very bland taste, so there wasn't much that had to be done in order to make the perfect kind of food. That made it easy for Hermes, but not fun. And Hermes hadn't entered the competition for easy. He wanted to win through a challenge, and not by a free pass.

So, as the breeders were called to start their ten minute time, Hermes decided he would mess with Brandon's head, if only slightly. Since it only took Hermes roughly three minutes to finish his simple normal type food, he could focus the rest of his attention on Brandon. Hermes watched as the dark haired boy gathered the ingredients he needed for the perfect fire type dish, the most important aspect being tamato berries.

"Cheri berries would make this food even better," Brandon mused to himself, rubbing his chin in thought. He was positive he had seen the small, red berries growing on a tree not far from where he'd collected the tamato berries from. The tamato berries were certainly strong enough to give the food a flavor that fire types just loved, but cheri berries would increase the taste even more. The spicier a fire type's food was, the better. So, deciding he wanted to make the best sample possible for the judges, Brandon decided to head back towards the berry filled trees the breeders had all used to make their dishes.

With Brandon out of the way, Hermes was able to approach the boy's station and sprinkle in a secret ingredient to Brandon's already mixed bowl of special flavoring. The mischievous blonde cackled as he tainted Brandon's special creation, knowing they would all be in for a world of fun once it came time to test the food.

"You're not going to win this one, newbie," Hermes smirked. "You've got to earn your chops, first."

By the time judging for the food had come, Brandon was confident in his special mixture. It was _definitely _spicy, and he knew a fire type would just love its flavor. When the judges approached him, Brandon smiled at the panel and introduced his creation, just as every other breeder had.

"I had fire type specialty food," Brandon explained, motioning towards the red bowl in front of him. "I bolstered the flavor of the food with a special sprinkling of tamato and cheri berries. The spicy properties of both add a flavor that is delectable for fire types."

"You certainly seem to know your stuff, young man," one of the judges complimented before tossing a poke ball in the air. "Let's see what Charmander thinks of your dish!"

The lizard Pokémon smiled up at Brandon, who returned the action. Silently, the starter Pokémon sat before the bowl and took out a piece of food, sticking it in his mouth without hesitance and chewing on it. After a few seconds, however, the fire type stuck his tongue out in disgust, making a noise of similar connotations.

"Huh?!" Brandon gasped. To be honest, he was quite stunned by the Pokémon's reaction.

"Oh dear," the judge frowned. Obviously, that was _not_ a very good comment. Brandon had a feeling he wasn't going to be winning this round.

And indeed he didn't, not even ending up in the top three. Liana had come in third, and Hermes had finished first. Aiden and Michelle, still sitting in the stands, were disappointed by the outcome. They were happy for their newfound friend Liana, but Brandon not winning a cooking round seemed very off to them.

"Brandon being all depressed and weird can't have anything to do with this, can it?" Michelle frowned.

"Nah, he made an awesome breakfast this morning even when he was being all mopey," Aiden shook his head. "He's happy to be in this competition, so no way did that matter. Something is definitely up."

Brandon walked up to Liana, giving the brunette girl a weak smile. "Congrats, Liana!"

"Thanks," Liana's voice didn't sound so strong, "but…what happened? I thought cooking was your specialty."

"I did too," Brandon sighed. "I don't really understand what went wrong. I mixed the tamato and cheri berries together perfectly. And you can never put too much of those berries in a fire type's food. The more there is, the more they love it!"

"You really are a sad excuse for a breeder, aren't you?"

Brandon growled and whipped around, finding himself face to face with Hermes. "What was that?"

"Silly boy," Hermes clicked his tongue. "Shouldn't you know that fire type Pokémon don't like rawst berries? It's basic breeding knowledge."

"I didn't put any rawst berries in my food…" Brandon muttered.

"Are you _sure _about that?" Hermes drawled, holding up the bright blue berry. Its green leaves were longer than usual and curled, and Brandon instantly knew what that meant: the berry was even more bitter than usual. Just the bottom of the berry was missing, having been torn off and used as an ingredient. But Hermes had made normal type food, and Brandon knew for a fact that normal type Pokémon also didn't like the taste of rawst berries. That's when the darker boy gasped in realization, snarling at the satisfied looking Hermes.

"You!" Brandon cried, pointing an accusatory finger at the blonde.

"You don't have to act so surprised," Hermes scoffed. "You should've expected something like this to happen. Next time, don't leave your station unattended." And with that, the cruel breeder skirted away without a care in the world.

"That jerk…" Brandon seethed, surprising even himself. He rarely talked about people that way; he was such a sweet boy. But Hermes was really beginning to wear on his steel strength nerves.

"Now do you see why I don't like him?" Liana sighed, her voice laced with sadness.

"Yeah, completely," Brandon grumbled. He wasn't going to let Hermes beat him _or _Liana. Not on his watch.

_You're going down, Hermes. But, unlike the little games _you _like to play, I'm going to make sure you fall fair and square._

**XXX**

"Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come for the third and final round of this year's breeding competition!"

The announcer's booming voice brought up a cheer from the stands. Aiden and Michelle were no exception, clapping along with everyone else. Brandon and Liana were in determination mode, however, ready to beat Hermes at his own dirty game. The two were absolutely ready to beat him, in their own fair way.

"The final round is our first aid round," the announcer continued. "For this final stage, the breeders must create a certain type of medicine for a randomized Pokémon ailment, as well as provide a demonstration for a specific type of Pokémon injury."

Brandon looked over at Liana, clearly impressed. "Wow, you told me that before, word for word!"

"I've been to enough of these tournaments where I have every spiel memorized," Liana smirked. "It's…actually sort of sad."

"Each breeder will choose an ailment at random from our bowl, similar to last round," the announcer continued. "Upon choosing their condition, the breeders will be given fifteen minutes in the forest to find herbs and other ingredients in order to create their medicines. Once time is up, they will demonstrate the usage of their created treatments."

When it came time to choose their ailments, Liana and Brandon exchanged glances. Liana went first, just like before, and ended up drawing paralysis. Brandon's turn to pick led him to selecting…

"Poison," Brandon breathed.

Nearby, Hermes smirked. Poison could be a hard ailment to cure. Brandon might face a lot of difficulty with that one. Fortunately, he had drawn burn, which was a good ailment to cure. It was easy but still respectable. Much better than having to make specialty food for a normal type Pokémon.

The horn that signaled the start of the round sounded, and the breeders were off. They all charged into the nearby forest, rummaging and foraging for herbs and other ingredients that could make up their medicines. At some point, Brandon and Liana had split up. Liana knew she needed cheri berries for her mixture, since it was well known that they cured paralysis. Brandon, on the other hand, needed pecha berries for his own medication, and he had already seen they were growing on the other end of the grove. As he made his way west, the young breeder was unaware of Hermes' presence. It was hard to be, since the devious blonde was hiding away in the shrubs. He was peering out only with his steely gray eyes, having already gathered a sufficient amount of rawst berries for his medication. He had enough left over from sabotaging Brandon's food in the last round.

Smirking, Hermes stuck a foot out just as Brandon was dashing by, causing the breeder in training to go flying. Hermes let out a short cackle before covering his mouth, not wanting to get caught by Brandon or any other of the competition's breeders.

With a cry, Brandon hit the dirt, his body landing harshly on the ground. It hurt, and it even knocked some of the wind out of him. Breathing was now a chore. Sighing, Brandon tried to push himself up with his elbows, sure of the fact he'd have some nice, big bruises on his body in due time. He wondered how in the world he had fallen in the first place. He _had _been running and not exactly paying attention, so maybe there'd been a root or a branch sticking out that had thwarted him.

While Brandon was still down, an amused Hermes had made his way over to the crop of pecha berries. There weren't many left, thanks to the previous round, and that just made Hermes' job so much easier. With little effort, he managed to pluck every last remaining pecha berry, running away with the supply and leaving behind a group of barren trees.

On the forest ground, Brandon was still lying down on his stomach, struggling to get back to his feet. While he dealt with this, a pained moan sounded in Brandon's ear, and it wasn't his own. Slowly turning his head, the young breeder was met with the sight of a crumpled up Rhyhorn, moaning in pain and barely moving.

"A Rhyhorn? In the forest?" Brandon wondered aloud. "That's strange…"

He managed to crawl over to the Pokémon, despite still being in pain, and give it a look over. Upon further examination, Brandon could see that Rhyhorn was trembling, most likely from exhaustion, and that a strong strip of purple was visible over its nose.

"It's poisoned!" Brandon gasped.

Finally regaining his breath and managing to pull himself up, Brandon made his way towards the growth of pecha berries that he had seen before. To his surprise, however, the purple leaved trees now had no berries left on them.

"No!" Brandon hissed. This was bad. He needed pecha berries for the competition in the first place, but now he needed them even more for the sick Rhyhorn he had discovered. Not knowing what else to do, he ran off in search of the one person who could help him out.

**XXX**

Up in the stands, Aiden and Michelle watched the returned breeders with a sense of bewilderment. They were all back…save for Brandon.

"Where is he?" Aiden muttered. "He has to start making his medicine now or time will run out!"

"He did so well in the first round, and ever since he's been falling apart!" Michelle exclaimed. "I just don't understand."

Much to their surprise, however, their best friend burst back onto the scene, looking frantic and with no ingredients in his hands. Instead, he ran over to Liana, fervently shaking the girl's shoulders and crying out to her, although about what Aiden and Michelle couldn't be sure.

"Brandon, what is it?" Liana practically gasped, whipping around. "We have to beat Hermes!"

"I found something more important," Brandon breathed, still tired from his fall and run. "And I really need your help with it."

"But-"

"It's serious!" Brandon cut her off, grabbing the girl by her hand. Liana blushed slightly but quickly shook it away and allowed the boy to lead her back into the forest.

At his station, Hermes chuckled. His plan was working out perfectly. He hadn't even _tried _to sabotage Liana! Brandon was helping him out and he didn't even know it.

**XXX**

Fortunately for Brandon, the Rhyhorn was poisoned badly enough where it hadn't moved from its spot. It was still lying beneath the shrubs, eyes closed and shaking.

"A Rhyhorn?!" Liana gasped.

"That's what I said!" Brandon nodded. "It's strange to see one in the forest, and it's even stranger to see a poisoned one. Poison type attacks usually don't do a lot of damage to a rock and ground type like Rhyhorn."

Suddenly, a series of purple sparks shocked Rhyhorn, causing it to cry out in pain. Both young breeders backed away slightly, startled by the sudden sparks.

"I think it's _badly_ poisoned…" Liana breathed.

Brandon thought for a second before gasping, "you're right!" Liana blinked and turned her eyes onto Brandon, causing the boy to elucidate, "my Uncle is a Pokémon doctor, and I've seen this before. There's a difference between a poisoned Pokémon and a badly poisoned Pokémon. In the case of one that's been badly poisoned, the effects of the attack remain on the Pokémon and continue to suck out their energy until they're cured…if they even are cured at all."

"And what if they don't get cured?" Liana asked, her throat tight.

"It doesn't end well," Brandon shook his head, not wanting to face that reality.

"Well, we just need to get some pecha berries," Liana reasoned. "That will help! I thought you drew poison as your ailment, anyway."

"I did, but that's the problem," Brandon furrowed his brow. "There are no pecha berries left."

"What?!" Liana's eyes widened. "How can that be possible? We grow so many pecha berries!"

"I don't know, but when I went to the tree to get some, they were all gone," Brandon sighed. "We need to find another way to help Rhyhorn."

"Like using antidote!" Liana snapped her fingers.

"Great idea!" Brandon beamed at his friend before shying away a bit. "But…where are we going to find antidote?"

"Presley," Liana answered easily. "He's like the antidote master! It's his specialty. He makes really quick healing ones. If you want, you can stay here with Rhyhorn, and I'll go get some of the antidote from my brother!"

"Sounds good," Brandon nodded, and with that, Liana was off. He sighed and turned his attention back onto the ailed Rhyhorn. Smiling sadly, Brandon knelt down so he could be closer to the sick creature. Normally, a Rhyhorn would be frightened by having a human so close to it. Brandon knew that as a fact. But since this one was so decimated due to the poison, it didn't so much mind Brandon being close by.

"You're gonna' be okay, buddy," Brandon smiled at the Pokémon. "I just wish there was some way I could make you feel a little better until Liana comes back…"

Tilting his head up, Brandon scanned his eyes around the forest, searching for something that might bring some relief to the sick Rhyhorn. Eventually, he caught sight of a narrow tree, filled with oran berries. Brandon smiled to himself. It was perfect! Standing up, he walked over to the tree and picked three berries, bringing them back over to Rhyhorn and offering the fruit to the poisoned Pokémon, who showed little interest in them.

"Come on, they're good for you!" Brandon encouraged. "These will help you to keep your strength up."

Slowly and cautiously, Rhyhorn stretched his neck out with what little energy he had and took a bite out of the bright blue berry. This seemed to cheer Rhyhorn up to some extent, although he was still very weak.

"Just hang on, Rhyhorn," Brandon murmured, "we're going to help you."

**XXX**

With the rest of the breeders busily working on their ailment remedies, Aiden and Michelle were watching restlessly from the stands. Liana and Brandon still hadn't returned from wherever Brandon had dragged them both off to, and they were now at the one minute warning.

"They're never going to win at this rate," Michelle sighed sadly. She'd really been pulling for her best friend and their newfound friends. Michelle especially wanted that Hermes guy to lose. Something about him really bugged her.

"I have no idea where Brandon and Liana went," Aiden shook his head. "He's just been acting so strange…"

With the clock down to thirty seconds, the breeders had now reached the home stretch of the tournament. Hermes was finishing mixing his medicine with a smile on his face, pleased with the dirty work he had done concerning Brandon and Liana.

"And, here we go!" The announcer's voice boomed. "Down to five…four…three…two…o-"

"WAIT!" Liana yelled. Everyone stopped what they were doing and whipped around, surprised by the sight of the frantic looking brunette.

"Liana, what are you doing?" Cameron, her third oldest brother, stood up. His sea green eyes were full of confusion and concern.

"We have a problem," Liana rushed the words out.

"Like what?" Now the announcer was joining in on the conversation.

"There's an injured Rhyhorn in the forest," Liana sighed, "Brandon found him."

"A Rhyhorn?" Cameron's eyes widened.

"Yes, it's strange," Liana nodded, "but he's very badly poisoned. And there's no pecha berries left in the grove!"

"But that's impossible…" Davey scratched his head. In the background, Hermes was beginning to look rather nervous.

"Well, impossible or not, there are none," Liana frowned. "We have to do something to help that poor Rhyhorn!" Turning towards her fourth oldest brother, Liana pressed, "Presley, do you have any of your special antidotes that we could give to Rhyhorn?"

The auburn haired boy nodded quickly, getting to his feet. "Yeah, I have some in my bag right over there. I'll get a bottle of it and you can bring all us to Rhyhorn. We'll fix him up in no time!"

Up in the stands, Aiden and Michelle were exchanging surprised looks.

"Brandon found a poisoned Rhyhorn!" Aiden gasped.

"We should probably go help out, too," Michelle offered. Aiden nodded quickly, and soon, the two siblings were running down the bleachers in order to join Liana and her brothers on the stage meant for the breeders in the tournament.

"Liana!" Aiden called, causing the brown haired girl to whip around. "Is Brandon still in the forest with that Rhyhorn?"

"Yeah, he promised to keep it company until I could get the antidote for it," Liana nodded.

Gathering up his bag full of supplies, Presley gave his sister a determined look and spoke, "show us where they are, Liana."

**XXX**

The girl led them all back into the forest, where Brandon was kneeling down beside the sick Rhyhorn. He was obviously relieved to see them all back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that Aiden and Michelle had joined them.

"Wow, Liana wasn't kidding!" Aiden marveled. "There really is a Rhyhorn in the forest!"

"And it's really badly poisoned," Michelle sighed.

"Liana, did you bring back any of that antidote you were talking about?" Brandon asked.

"Sure did," Liana nodded. "Presley's got it right in his bag!"

Her third oldest brother reached into his satchel, pulling out the yellow spray bottle and handing it to Liana. Smiling at her brother, the girl knelt down to try and feed the antidote to the sickly Rhyhorn, but was surprised when the dual type Pokémon refused to take any of it.

"Come on, Rhyhorn, this will help you to feel better!" Liana encouraged. Rhyhorn, however, did not seem convinced. It simply looked away from Liana, letting out a short breath of air as another series of purple shocks surrounded its body.

"Rhyhorn, please," Michelle murmured. She absolutely hated to see any kind of Pokémon in such pain.

"Pipi…" Pichu squeaked. She obviously agreed with her trainer.

Twisting his mouth, Brandon held his hand out towards Liana and asked, "would you mind giving the antidote to me?"

Liana nodded silently, handing over the yellow bottle. With the antidote firmly in hand, Brandon moved the nozzle of the bottle towards Rhyhorn's mouth, gently coaxing, "hey buddy, why don't you drink this down? It'll help to cure that poison of yours, and you'll start to feel like yourself again!"

Brandon's gentle voice seemed to do the trick for Rhyhorn, who finally lifted his head off the ground and began to drink out of the antidote bottle. From behind the young breeder, the rest of the trainers smiled happily, feeling confident that Rhyhorn would now begin to heal.

"I should scan Rhyhorn with my poke dex!" Aiden pulled out the red device, holding it up to the Pokémon. "Let's see what it says…"

_Rhyhorn, the spikes Pokémon. Rhyhorn are well known to charge straight into things, especially at things that they feel might threaten its well-being. Rhyhorn have an incredibly short memory span._

"That's a little harsh," Aiden blinked.

"Kind of sounds like you, with the whole memory thing," Michelle smirked.

"HEY!" Aiden bellowed.

Soon, Rhyhorn had finished the entire bottle of antidote, and the purple sparks surrounding his body had disappeared. It certainly appeared he was getting better, as the purple strip across his nose had also gone away. Everyone was happy about the progress, but Brandon was still feeling cagey, and Liana could tell.

"What's on your mind, Brandon?" Liana asked.

"The poison seems to be out of Rhyhorn's system, but he's still very weak," Brandon sighed. "Pecha berries would _really _help."

"But there are none left in the grove," Liana frowned. "I don't know where else we can find pecha berries."

"I have some right here, if you'd like."

The gathered trainers all whipped around, shocked to see a bashful looking Hermes standing in the clearing of the forest. Both Brandon and Liana were extremely distrustful of the breeder, and this was evident in their faces.

"What do you want, Hermes?" Liana spat. "We're in the middle of something very important here."

"I know you are," Hermes' voice was gentle. "That's why I brought you the pecha berries from the grove. I have them all with me." He held his hands out for proof. Just as he had promised, his palms were filled with the pink, heart shaped berries. Liana threw a glance over to Brandon, silently questioning if they should actually trust Hermes.

"I think we can," Brandon spoke softly, getting to his feet and walking over to Hermes in order to take the berries. "You may be extremely competitive and selfish at times, but at the bottom of it all, you're a breeder. Just like the rest of us. And you would never want to leave a sick or injured Pokémon untreated."

"Never," Hermes confirmed, shaking his head.

Bringing the berries over to Rhyhorn, Brandon knelt down and offered the helpful food to the dual type Pokémon. Rhyhorn happily accepted the offering, taking big bites out of the berries until they were all gone. Once the berries had been completely eaten, Rhyhorn got to his feet and walked out slowly from underneath the bushes, much to everyone's delight.

"Rhyhorn!" Brandon cheered. "I'm so happy to see you're okay!"

Rhyhorn let out a loud roar, causing Brandon's smile to widen. He really thought Rhyhorn was a pretty awesome Pokémon. Only adding to the young breeder's joy was when Rhyhorn hopped forward, nuzzling his head against the boy's chest.

"Hey, you really are doing much better!" Brandon laughed. "That's great!"

"Look at the bond that Brandon and Rhyhorn managed to build so quickly," Presley noted, Aiden and Michelle looking up at him in interest. "Because Brandon was able to cure Rhyhorn so quickly and effectively, Rhyhorn has complete trust in him. One of the many perks of being a breeder!"

"You really did great, Brandon!" Aiden complimented his best friend.

"Thanks, Aiden," Brandon smiled over his shoulder at the young trainer. Roaring once again, Rhyhorn hit his leg against Brandon, confusing the boy. "What's up, Rhyhorn?"

Continuing to nuzzle Brandon, Liana watched the Pokémon with curious eyes before beaming and calling out, "Brandon! I think Rhyhorn wants to be your Pokémon!"

"Really?" Brandon looked up at Liana in surprise. The girl giggled and nodded. She was positive. "You want to come with me, Rhyhorn?" The Pokémon nodded emphatically. Chuckling, Brandon pulled out a poke ball and held it over Rhyhorn, pushing the center button. "Alright, welcome to the team, Rhyhorn!"

A beam of red light emitted from the sphere and sucked Rhyhorn in. The ball shook a few times in Brandon's hand before settling down, a quiet but still audible _click _alerting him to the capture of his newest Pokémon.

"Nice, Brandon!" Michelle smiled. "You caught a Rhyhorn!"

"I sure did," Brandon nodded, smiling at the red and white ball in his hand.

**XXX**

"So, how did the tournament end, anyway?"

"I didn't win, or even come in the top three," Brandon smiled sheepishly. "But…I don't really mind. It was still fun, _and _I got a new Pokémon!"

"That's very true," Brock, who was speaking to his nephew over video phone, smiled. "And you cured him, too! That was great of you to do, Brandon. You're on your way to becoming a great breeder, and I couldn't be more proud."

"Thanks, Uncle Brock," Brandon blushed slightly.

"And who knows," Brock chuckled, "maybe one day, Rhyhorn will evolve and you'll have a super strong Rypherior, just like your Dad!"

"Yeah, that'd be awesome!" Brandon nodded emphatically.

"Well, I don't want to keep you from your friends too much longer," Brock smirked. "But remember how proud I am of you. Keep up the great work, bud!"

"I will, I promise," Brandon's eyes gleamed.

With the call disconnected, a small tap on his shoulder caused Brandon to turn around. Standing behind him was Liana, smiling sweetly and giggling very softly.

"Liana," Brandon breathed, getting to his feet. "I'm sorry you didn't win the breeding tournament. It was pretty much all my fault."

"No it's not," Liana shook her head, "and I'm not mad! I'm really glad I got to help you take care of Rhyhorn."

"I'm glad to know you're not mad at me," Brandon smirked. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you were!"

Her own grin becoming sheepish, Liana gave the boy an expectant look and asked, "do you have a poke gear?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah."

Laughing, Liana held her hand out and requested, "give it to me."

"…why?"

"I'm not going to do anything bad!" Liana's laughs grew stronger. "I promise."

Reaching into his pocket, Brandon pulled out his blue and black device and handed it over to Liana. She turned on the screen and typed in a few things before smiling satisfactorily and handing it back to a very confused Brandon.

"I just gave you my poke gear number," Liana informed the boy. "That way you can call me…whenever."

"Whenever?" Brandon repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Liana nodded, a happy smile still on her pretty face. "Whenever."

Brandon beamed and nodded hurriedly. He couldn't believe how much better this day had gotten. New confidence, a new Pokémon friend…

And maybe even a new love interest!

* * *

**Yes, a very Brandon centric chapter, and a new Pokemon for him! Rhyhorn is a sweetie Pokemon :)**

**And yes, Liana is in fact a love interest for Brandon. Each of the characters will have a few differnt possible love interests. I've always wanted to see people shipping my characters :P I'm even considering making shipping names for my characters! So, in a review, you guys can feel free to leave suggestions and opinions. Better yet, tell me who you think looks good with who right now! I'd love to know who you're all shipping ;)**

**Work on the next chapter is already underway. Hopefully it won't take as long as this one did! I'm home for the next 5 weeks, away from the school from hell, so hopefully I'll be able to better concentrate.**

**Until then, leave a review (tell me who you ship! :P) and I'll see you all next chapter!**


	18. Nursery Times!

**Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Look, I have a present for you. You guys all waited so long for the last update of this story, and I felt so bad. So, here's the new chapter, updated ON TIME for your reading enjoyment :) And the only reason next week's update will be a few days late is because I'm on vacation ;)**

**Last time: Brandon, feeling a little depressed due to the accomplishments of his friends but having nothing to show for his own, enters a breeding tournament by the suggestion of a fellow breeder named Liana. He does very well, until he becomes thwarted by a selfish breeder named Hermes who tries to rig the tournament in his favor. During the first aid round, however, Brandon abandons his chances to win by taking care of a badly pisoned Rhyhorn, who goes on to become the newest Pokemon on his team! He even gets Liana's number in his pokegear! Now, the group is continuing their trek to Saffron City for Michelle's next Contest and Aiden's next gym battle.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Nursery Times!**

Aiden and Michelle were pleased to see Brandon doing much better than he had been recently. After competing in the Payne City breeding competition, and winning, Brandon's spirits had been greatly improved. Not to mention, he'd won a new friend through it: Rhyhorn.

"You really kicked some serious butt in that competition, Brandon," Aiden complimented his best friend as they made their way down a dirt road. "You showed 'em how breeding is done!"

"Thanks, bud," Brandon held out a fist, which Aiden bumped with his own. "It was pretty awesome, wasn't it?"

"I thought you did great," Michelle agreed with her brother, a delicate smile on her face.

"Pi pichu!" Pichu squeaked from Michelle's shoulder.

"Plus, I got to meet Liana!" Brandon sighed, a blush overtaking his face. "She was so pretty…"

Aiden smirked and rolled his eyes, while Michelle just sighed. She truly wondered if Brandon would ever be able to get over his girl crazy tendencies.

"Let me get your brain off the pretty girls for a bit," Michelle looked up at the aspiring breeder, "where are we headed?"

Brandon took out his poke gear and scanned the map he had brought up on the screen. "Well, according to the map, we're just about to enter Superiority Village."

"Never heard of it," Aiden commented.

"It's also a mouthful," Michelle added.

"The place isn't very big, according to the map here, but the highlight of the village is its Pokémon nursery," Brandon cited. "It's one of the best nurseries in the business!"

"It says that on the map?" Aiden asked.

Chuckling, Brandon shook his head and refuted, "nah, I've got all that info in my head! A breeder's gotta know this stuff, after all."

"Oh, I would love to go visit a Pokémon nursery!" Michelle's eyes lit up. "A whole place full of adorable baby Pokémon sounds so wonderful!"

"Pi…" Pichu growled, causing Michelle to laugh.

"Don't get jealous, Pichu. You're still _my _baby Pokémon!"

This seemed to placate the little electric mouse, who quieted down and stopped squeaking in displeasure.

It took only a few more minutes of walking by the trainers before they reached a hand painted wooden sign that read:

_Welcome to Superiority Village!_

_Home of the world famous Superiority Pokémon Nursery_

"Guess you were right, Brandon," Michelle smiled at her friend.

"I know what I'm talking about," Brandon smirked.

The village itself was obviously quite small. The houses were scarce and tiny; all of them resembled log cabins and had naturally colored shutters and doors. There were small, rolling hills of green, along with scattered patches of colorful wildflowers. To the east was a very diminutive lake, rocks and various grasses sticking up from the water.

"So where's this Pokémon nursery?" Aiden looked around the village. It was a tiny place, so the building shouldn't have been that hard to find.

"According to the map here on my poke gear, the nursery is up north, right in the middle of the village," Brandon read off his screen.

The group of young trainers walked in that direction, keeping an eye out for a noticeable building that could pass as a Pokémon nursery. They just kept passing the small wooden houses, however, and seeing nothing that caught their attention.

"I don't get it, where is the nursery?" Brandon muttered. "My map couldn't be wrong, could it?"

Michelle squinted and locked her eyes on a house just ahead of them. With her eyesight narrowed, the coordinator spotted a hand painted sign on the side of the seemingly regular house.

"Hey, guys," Michelle alerted the boys, "I found the nursery!"

Aiden and Brandon looked up in surprise, eyeing the red head standing before them.

"Michelle, I don't see anything," Brandon calmly informed the girl.

"Yeah, that's just another house," Aiden folded his arms across his chest.

"No," Michelle refuted before pointing at the sign that was posted on the side of the house. "Read that sign! It's the Pokémon Nursery! We were looking for a bigger building when really, it's just another one of the houses here."

Aiden and Brandon both leaned in to read the sign. As it would turn out, Michelle was right. This was, in fact, the village's famed Pokémon Nursery.

"Huh, I really thought it'd be bigger," Aiden blinked.

"Can we go inside?" Michelle's whole face was li up. She had always loved baby Pokémon, and she certainly wasn't about to pass up an opportunity to see an entire building full of the adorable little creatures.

"Sure," Brandon chuckled.

Before he could even finish saying that _one _little word, Michelle had whipped around and opened the door to the little house, alarming her two traveling partners. Pichu was surprised as well, and it led to her having to grip Michelle's cropped, denim jacket with her little paws in order to avoid falling off.

As soon as Michelle entered the building, she was met with a small desk with an old woman standing behind it.

"Oh, good morning to you!" The woman greeted.

"Hi!" Michelle's voice was bubbling with excitement. "I'm a Pokémon coordinator, my name's Michelle. My friend was telling me all about this place, and I _had _to come visit it!"

"Ah, yes, trainers from all over come to our quaint little village to see our Pokémon Nursery!" The woman nodded. Leaning forward, she squinted slightly, confusing Michelle.

"Is something wrong?" Michelle asked curiously.

"No, not a thing," the woman shook her head now. "You just look familiar, for some strange reason…"

The door opened behind Michelle, Brandon and Aiden revealing themselves behind the girl. The old woman no longer had to wonder why Michelle looked so familiar when she caught sight of the young, raven haired boy standing behind her, causing her to gasp and shoot up, frightening the three young trainers.

"That's it!" The woman beamed, the trainers exchanging bewildered looks. "That's where I recognize you from!" She shuffled out from behind the desk, smiling broadly at the three. Pointing her finger and moving it between Aiden and Michelle and cried, "You two are the Pokémon Master's children!"

Brandon made a strangled laughing noise, while Aiden and Michelle blushed slightly.

"Not this again…" Michelle muttered.

"Yes, why didn't I see that before?" The lady laughed. "You two look just like your mother and father! It's uncanny!"

"What's going on out here, Stella?"

The old woman whipped around and shouted excitedly, "Stanley, come here! Look! You won't believe who just walked into this little place of ours!"

An old man had appeared, walking in through a door that was situated behind the desk. He was eyeing the three young trainers, trying to figure out what his wife had gotten so excited about. It was when he saw Aiden, however, that things clicked for him.

"Well, I'll be," Stanley whistled, making his way over towards his wife. "Those are the Pokémon Master's children, aren't they?"

"They sure are," Stella's eyes were bright. "This is truly incredible!"

"Thanks…" Aiden managed to cease his blushing, "uh…I'm Aiden. It's nice to meet you!"

"And I'm Brandon," the breeder added somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest things!" Stella marveled. "I'm so excited that you've decided to come visit our Pokémon Nursery! My name is Stella, and that right there is my husband, Stanley. We run the Nursery together as a couple."

"Aw, that's so cute!" Michelle trilled.

"Pi-chu, pi," Pichu squeaked from Michelle's shoulder.

"Oh, just look at that little one," Stella lifted Pichu up into the air, before Michelle could even think to say anything. "What a precious baby!"

"Thanks," Michelle smiled sweetly at the old lady. "Pichu is my partner. She's a real cutie!"

"I would sure say so," Stella nodded. "And a very young one at that!"

"You can tell how old Pichu is?" Brandon raised an eyebrow. He was intrigued. He knew that Pichu was young, most certainly just a baby, but he had no idea how old the little thing really was.

"Well, I can't be certain, seeing as I don't know when she hatched from her egg," Stella replied. "You mean to tell me she didn't hatch right in front of you?"

"No, I found her injured in the forest behind our house," Michelle shook her head. "She actually got hurt protecting my brother and I by using thundershock on a flock of angry Spearrow."

"Her own thundershock knocked her out, eh?" Stella smiled lovingly. "Yes, then she really is a very little baby. In all honestly, probably just a few weeks old!"

"A few weeks?!" Michelle gasped. She couldn't believe how young her Pichu was. Pichu was pretty much a newborn!

"Yes, I'd say when she hurt herself protecting you, she must have been very newly hatched," Stella nodded. "Maybe even only a few days old. This is without a doubt a newborn Pichu."

Grinning, Michelle took her partner back from Stella and cradled the baby Pokémon in her arm, gently tickling the mouse's belly as she cooed, "oh, you're just a teensy tiny baby, aren't you, Pichu? You're my little baby!"

Pichu giggled, loving the attention from her trainer. Brandon watched the girl admirably, while Aiden just rolled his eyes. His sister could get pretty weird with Pichu sometimes. It was like Michelle thought Pichu was her own baby or something.

"If you love your little Pichu that much, then you're just going to love seeing all of the baby Pokémon we have here at the nursery!" Stella beamed. "Would you like to come meet them all?"

"Yes, please!" Michelle squealed, obviously very excited at just the thought.

"Excellent!" Stella waved her hand at the trainers as she walked towards the door that was situated behind the building's front desk. "Follow me!"

Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon did just that, following both Stanley and Stella into the next room. What they were met with were the sight of Pokémon eggs, all over the room. They were in baskets, on pillows, and in incubators, all different colors filling the room.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Brandon marveled.

"Yeah, look at all of the eggs!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling.

"We always have lots of Pokémon eggs in the nursery," Stanley informed the interested young trainers. "Many times, the eggs will come from Pokémon who are left in our care by their trainers. The trainers usually don't want the eggs for themselves, so we keep them here nice and safe until they hatch."

"You must have all different kinds of Pokémon in these eggs," Aiden awed, walking over to a shelf of them. He examined each one very carefully, chuckling softly as he ran his fingers across one that was light purple in color.

"You have a very gentle touch, young man."

Aiden became startled by a sudden voice in his ear, but relaxed when he realized it was only Stella. Letting out a long sigh, Aiden covered his heart for a second before standing to his full height and sheepishly admitting, "yeah, I guess you could say that…"

"You certainly seem to be enamored by the eggs," Stella grinned. "Have you had experience with raising an egg before?"

"Uh, well, I guess kind of," Aiden shrugged. "When my sister and I were little kids, my parents once gave us a Bulbasaur egg to take care of. It was because my Mom was going to have a baby, and I wasn't adjusting very well. So they thought using a Pokémon egg would teach Michelle and I what to expect."

"Oh yeah, that cute little Bulbasaur!" Michelle giggled, having overheard Aiden and Stella's conversation. "That was so much fun! Even though we kind of fought over the egg…"

"We both wanted to give it lots of attention, but our _own _attention," Aiden chuckled. "So sharing was kind of a problem."

"I was surprised that Aiden wanted so much to do with it, though," Michelle smiled at the memory. "He was your typical rough little boy, who didn't want to be gentle with things and didn't want to waste his time on anything that needed special care and attention. But he really did love that egg."

"And that taught me to appreciate the baby, too," Aiden grinned. "I got really excited about becoming a big brother. I got more gentle with my Mom and stopped acting out so much about it. I remember touching her belly and thinking it was so cool that my own little sister was in there!"

"And now he's _very_ protective of Elizabeth," Brandon smirked.

"Your little sister, correct?" Stella giggled.

"Yep, Lizzie," Aiden nodded, his eyes shining. "She's like…my best little friend. I tease her sometimes, but really I love her more than anything else in the whole world. I've been crazy protective of her since before she was even born. I miss her a lot while I'm out on my journey, actually."

Stella smiled sympathetically at the boy. "I was right about you, Aiden." The boy picked his head up in interest. "Very gentle. You're a sweet boy. You have amazingly strong paternal instincts, despite your tender age."

Aiden was flustered by this, but quickly calmed down as he murmured, "wait…what's paternal mean?"

"Oh boy," Brandon sighed.

"You really are dense, aren't you?" Michelle placed her hands on her hips.

"I am not!" Aiden argued. "I just don't know what paternal means! And you do?"

"Of course I do," Michelle huffed. "Paternal means you're fatherly. Like Dad. He's _extremely _paternal because his characteristics make for a perfect father."

"Michelle's got the right idea," Brandon smiled at the girl, who returned the action whole heartedly.

"Yeah, well that's just because she reads her stupid books," Aiden muttered. Looking over at Stella, he affirmed, "I'm not paternal. I'm just a good big brother, that's all."

Smirking, Stella shook her head and replied, "I'll show you. Just follow me." And with that, she made her way towards another back door, with Brandon and Michelle eagerly following. Aiden, however, was not quite as willing.

"I am _not _paternal," Aiden grumbled. "I wouldn't make a good Dad…that's just weird."

As it would turn out, the back door led to the outside of the nursery; the back of the building. It was a large space, closed off by a wooden fence, and filled with frolicking Pokémon, many of which appeared to be just babies.

"These are all of the Pokémon we have here at the nursery," Stella elucidated. "Mostly little ones that hatched from their eggs. We also watch after trainers' Pokémon if they come by and want to drop them off for a little bit of rest and socializing."

"They all look so cute running around and playing together!" Michelle gushed. She knelt down and, much to her delight, a small pink Pokémon with a full head of blonde hair came rushing up to her, its pouty lips set into a big smile.

"Smoo!"

"Oh, aren't you just precious!" Michelle squealed, pulling out her pokedex to scan the creature.

_Smoochum, the kiss Pokémon. Smoochum's lips are sensitive enough where they can be used to identify and examine different objects. They prefer colder areas and are very conscious about their appearance._

"Smoochum!" The baby Pokémon cried, jumping into Michelle's arms and snuggling against the girl.

"Oh my gosh, you are adorable!" Michelle hugged the Pokémon back. On her shoulder, Pichu growled in jealousy. She obviously didn't like sharing her trainer with other baby Pokémon. Sighing, Michelle picked Pichu off of her shoulder and sat the electric type down in front of her, placing Smoochum at her side. "Don't be such a little brat, Pichu. Why don't you and Smoochum become friends?"

Pichu gave Smoochum a dirty look, but that didn't seem to affect the little ice type. Giggling, she leaned forward and pressed a big kiss against Pichu's cheek, causing the mouse to cry out and rub furiously at her cheeks.

"Well, this isn't exactly working out like I'd hoped," Michelle sweat dropped.

While Michelle was busying herself with Pichu and Smoochum, a small brown and green Pokémon wandered up to Brandon, its yellow eyes wide with innocence.

"Hey, that's a Bonsly!" Brandon noted, kneeling down in front of the rock type. "My Uncle Brock used to have one, and it evolved into the Sudowoodo he has now!"

This was finally enough to catch Aiden's attention. He scurried up next to Brandon and uttered a simple, "cool!" before taking out his own pokedex to scan the Pokémon.

_Bonsly, the bonsai Pokémon. They prefer dry areas, and often use a brigade of fake tears in order to get attention._

"Bonsly is a pretty awesome Pokémon," Aiden smiled. "I bet all that fake crying works wonders in getting what it wants!"

As if on cue, the baby rock type started bawling, causing both Brandon and Aiden to grimace and cover their ears.

"Man, I haven't heard crying that loud since Elizabeth was a baby!" Aiden complained.

"I haven't heard crying that loud _period!_" Brandon winced.

"Aw, come on now, Bonsly." Stella picked the Pokémon up in her arms and simply held it, causing the rock type to cease its fit of tears. "See? Much better!"

Aiden and Brandon uncovered their ears, staring at Stella in amazement.

"Wow, you're really good at that," Aiden blinked.

"All Bonsly ever wants is to be held," Stella giggled. "And he'll cry and scream bloody murder until you do just that! It's not ideal, but it's effective. Besides, it's in his nature."

"I hear ya'," Brandon smirked, standing to his full height. "My Uncle tells me all the time that when his Sudowoodo was still a Bonsly, it would cry all the time just for attention. It's like taking care of a real, human baby, I guess."

"Indeed it is," Stella agreed. Looking up at the raven haired boy standing next to Brandon, Stella prodded, "come with me, Aiden. There's something I want to see."

"What?" Aiden questioned, not exactly sure he wanted to take part in this.

"Oh, it's nothing bad," Stella waved a hand at the boy. "Just follow me! I'm curious."

Sighing, Aiden followed after the old woman, wondering what in the world she could possibly want from him. As it would turn out, Stella was leading over to the corner of the enclosure, where a little red and yellow Pokémon was sitting all by himself, looking down sheepishly at his feet.

"Whoa," Aiden breathed, holding his red pokdex in front of it.

_Magby, the live coal Pokémon. Magby can breathe out 1,100 degree Fahrenheit flames and shoot smog from its mouth. Their health is determined by the color of the flames that spew from its mouth._

"This little one right here is a bit shy," Stella explained. "He usually spends all day sitting by himself. The other Pokémon all try to play with him, but he'd much rather be by himself. A trainer with such a kind streak such as yourself should be able to open him up a little bit."

"You think I can do that to Magby?" Aiden pointed at himself.

"It's well worth a try!" Stella smiled.

Shrugging, Aiden knelt down in front of Magby, smiling softly at the shy baby Pokémon. "Hey there! My name's Aiden. It's nice to meet ya', Magby!"

In turn, the live coal Pokémon whimpered and backed away slightly, causing Aiden to frown.

"Hey, come on now, we can be friends!" Aiden smiled encouragingly at the fire type. Magby still didn't look so sure though. Twisting his mouth, Aiden thought back to the times where he'd have to help Elizabeth try something she was originally too hesitant to. Grinning, Aiden held a hand out towards Magby and crooned in an even more gentle voice, "Magby, don't you trust me? I really want to be friends with you. I can show you how much fun it is to play with others!"

Still looking a little distrustful, Magby slowly nodded and placed his paw in Aiden's hand. This caused Stella to smile. She really did know that Aiden was something special.

Laughing innocently, Aiden stood up and motioned for Magby to follow him to the middle of the enclosure. Whimpering, Magby slowly followed after the boy, still worried about what might happen to him. Leaning down, Aiden picked up a small purple ball that had been lying on the grass. He figured it was in there for the Pokémon to play with. Smiling at Magby, Aiden once again sat down on the field, this time cross legged. Tilting his head, Magby followed suit, sitting down several feet away from Aiden.

"That's great!" Aiden complimented the creature. "Ready? The ball is coming your way!"

Magby flinched and covered his face, cowering in fear as he expected the ball to come flying at him with brute force. That wasn't the case, however. Instead, the ball lightly tapped his foot, having been rolled over to him by Aiden. Opening one eye, and then the other, Magby looked at Aiden once again, who was giving the baby fire type an encouraging grin.

"Be?" Magby murmured, placing his paws on the top of the ball.

"Roll it back to me now, Magby!" Aiden called.

Blinking his innocence filled eyes, Magby gently pushed the purple ball, watching as it rolled back towards Aiden. Reaching out, the boy stopped the ball as soon as it rolled up in front of him, and he threw Magby a huge grin. "That was great! You're great at this, Magby!"

Such a compliment really seemed to excite the baby fire type. He let out a happy cry, waving his paws in the air. Aiden and Magby continued to roll the ball back and forth for a little while, until Smoochum and Bonsly made their way over, showing interest in the little game that was being played. Magby whined softly and shot Aiden a scared look, but the boy simply encouraged his newfound friend.

"Smoochum and Bonsly just want to play, like you and I have been doing!" Aiden reassured the Pokémon. "This is a great way to make some new friends. How about we all play together for a little while?"

Smoochum and Bonsly cheered at the idea, and even Magby began to look a little less hesitant. With the live coal Pokémon's blessing, the two other baby Pokémon sat down to form a small circle with Magby and Aiden, the group gently pushing the ball back and forth to one another while they laughed at their innocent fun.

**XXX**

From a nearby tree, three binocular lenses poked out of the leaves, setting themselves on the scene of Aiden playing with the three baby Pokémon.

"Look at that stupid brat, playing with those stupid baby Pokémon."

Frowning at his sister, Jason lowered his binoculars and asked, "Aw, Jewel, you don't think baby Pokémon are adorable?"

"No," Jewel answered quite simply. "They're useless. You can never win a battle with one of those things. They're cute, but that's it. Not good battlers at all."

"Yeah, not like me!" Sneasel snickered. "All baby Pokémon are good for is looking cute and crying all the time."

"But the female brat has a baby Pokémon who manages to beat us quite handedly," Jason reminded his two companions, who blanched. They had actually forgotten the fact that Pichu was a baby Pokémon.

"Well, that's a rare case," Jewel scoffed, "which is why we have to nab that Pichu for the boss! Rare Pokémon _are _his thing, you know."

"So, do you think maybe the boss would like those other baby Pokémon, too?" Jason asked.

"No," Jewel scoffed. "I just got finished telling you that baby Pokémon are useless! Why in the world would the boss want a gaggle of _useless_ Pokémon?"

"Not for nothing, the boss _could _make use of those Pokémon, even if they aren't good for battle," Jason huffed.

"What are you talking about, Jason?" Jewel demanded.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe we could capture those baby Pokémon, not for the boss to use as battlers, but to have as friends!" Jason smiled. "You have to admit that they are very cute, and sure to bring a smile to the face of even the most cold hearted man! When the boss is in a bad mood, I'm sure that seeing the face of such a sweet and innocent Pokémon would cheer him right up."

"You're insane," Jewel muttered.

"Actually, Jewel, he's making a good point!" Sneasel smiled.

"What, are you catching his stupidity?" Jewel smacked her forehead. "I wasn't aware that was contagious…"

"No!" Sneasel haughtily refuted before continuing on with his explanation, "I think Jason's right. The boss might really love having some cute baby Pokémon around! They sure are fun to play with, most humans think. Besides, those old people have a bunch of eggs in that building, and you don't know what's in them!"

_That _was enough to catch Jewel's interest. Smiling evilly at the ice type, she drawled, "So you mean that a legendary Pokémon could hatch from one of those eggs?"

"Maybe," Sneasel nodded. "You never know until it actually hatches!"

Smirking, Jewel raised a hand to her face and held her chin between her fingers. It was quite a good plan. Jewel could certainly go along with that.

"Then that's what we'll do!" Jewel decided, much to the delight of her counterparts. "We'll grab that Pichu, those other baby Pokémon, and a bunch of eggs! Glad _I _thought of it."

That little comment, however, was enough to cause Jason and Sneasel to nearly fall out of the tree entirely.

**XXX**

Brandon and Michelle were actually very surprised by how much the baby Pokémon loved playing with Aiden.

He was a real natural with them, just as Stella had expected. He had opened Magby up so quickly that now the little fire type wasn't even thinking twice about playing with the other Pokémon. He was doing it on his own free will and having a great time.

"I don't care what Aiden says," Michelle furrowed her brow. "He's paternal."

"Absolutely," Brandon nodded. "But I knew that from how close he is with Lizzie. He'll make a great father someday."

"I'm not having any babies!" Aiden jumped to his feet, suddenly _extremely_ frantic over Brandon's simple comment.

"That's what they all say," Brandon deadpanned.

"But one day, you'll find a pretty girl and fall in _looove _and then you'll have babies," Michelle was practically snickering at the idea. "Although, you'll need some luck in finding a girl who won't be floored by your unbelievable lack of brains."

"Why you little-" Aiden was about to lunge at Michelle, but he stopped right away when he heard several frightened cries come from behind him.

Whipping around, he found that all of the baby Pokémon who had been playing in the enclosure were now trapped in a net, including the Magby who he had just managed to get out of his shell.

"What's the big idea?!" Aiden stormed.

Michelle started to look around the enclosure, and after a few turns of her head, she shrieked and began to panic. "Hey, where's Pichu?! I can't find her anywhere!"

"Pi-chu!"

The three young trainers all stared up at the net, where Michelle's beloved Pichu was being smushed against the mesh. She had a frown on her fuzzy yellow face and was obviously uncomfortable. Michelle, not at all amused seeing her Pichu in such a predicament, scowled and began to chase after the net, much to Aiden and Brandon's concern.

"Don't worry, Pichu," Michelle yelled, "I'll save you!"

"Might want to rethink that one, bratette!"

Michelle gasped and skidded to a halt. "Wait a minute, I know that voice…and I know that stupid nickname, too!"

From above the full net, the familiar Sneasel shaped balloon presented itself to the young trainers, causing them all to grunt in sheer annoyance.

"Who are those people?" Stella blinked.

"Team Rocket," Aiden seethed. "They're bad guys who steal Pokémon that don't belong to them."

"Stealing?" Stella gasped before glowering at the balloon. "You give those baby Pokémon back right this instance!"

"Clearly this old lady has no idea how Team Rocket operates," Jewel smirked. "We'll just have to give ourselves the proper introduction, then, since the brat didn't do it right!"

"You got that right, Jewel!" Sneasel snickered.

"Listen up, and prepare for us!"

"Give up now, or we'll make a fuss!"

"We're here to start trouble!"

"And surely burst your bubble!"

"Truth and love, we will defy!"

"Like shooting stars, we're sure to fly!"

"Jewel!"

"Jason!"

"Team Rocket, here to succeed!"

"Our great history you soon will read!"

"Sneasel, agreed!"

"A talking Sneasel?" Stella gaped.

"Yeah, but it doesn't really say anything intelligent," Michelle bit, holding a poke ball in her hand. She was determined to get Pichu back. "Ponyta, let's go!"

The fire horse appeared in front of her trainer, neighing in displeasure as soon as she set her large, black eyes on the group of villains.

"Ponyta, use ember on Team Rocket's balloon!" Michelle ordered. Just as the fire type unleashed her attack, Jewel scoffed and withdrew her own poke ball.

"Oh, please! Venonat, confusion!"

The purple Pokémon's eyes began to glow blue, and that shining hue was soon transmitted to the embers, outlining them in the bright color. This sent the embers right back at Ponyta, causing the fire type to be hit by her own attack.

"Ponyta!" Michelle cried out in horror.

"I'm so sick of these guys," Aiden muttered, throwing his own poke ball as he yelled, "Absol, future sight!"

The dark type's eyes began to glow a bright blue, even brighter than Venonat's own eyes had been just moments ago. Once the glow disappeared, a strike of bright blue lightning shot out from the sky and struck Team Rocket's balloon, creating a gaping hole in the material.

Crying out in horror, Jason managed to chuck his own poke ball and shouted, "Zubat! Bite that insufferable fuzz ball!"

The blue bat appeared, swooping down towards Absol and sinking its sharp fangs into the Pokémon's neck. Absol cried out in pain, thrashing his head around to try and get the dual type Pokémon off of him.

"Absol!" Aiden gasped.

At the same time, Team Rocket's balloon crashed right into the ground, being surrounded by a flurry of smoke and kicked up dirt. Michelle's heart began to race, fearing that her Pichu and all of the other baby Pokémon had been injured in the fall. Somehow, however, the net had landed on the ground gently enough where every single captured Pokémon was in perfect health; just still trapped in the net.

"I'll get 'em out," Brandon nodded, throwing his own poke ball, "Rhyhorn, use bulldoze!"

The spikes Pokémon appeared and began stomping on the ground, eventually charging forward with his head down until he came in contact with the net. His front horn tore right into the net, creating a gaping hole from which the baby Pokémon managed to escape from.

"You did it, Brandon!" Michelle cheered. Pichu came running right up to her trainer, causing Michelle to smile and open her arms in order to catch the little electric type in them. Squealing, Pichu began to rub herself against Michelle while the girl giggled happily. "I'm so glad you're safe, Pichu!"

The other baby Pokémon hurried over to Aiden and gathered around the boy's feet, much to Stella's delight.

"Great, you're all safe!" Aiden smiled down at the Pokémon before glaring at Team Rocket. They were scraped and dirtied from the fall their balloon had taken, but despite those minor setbacks, the trio was still ready to take on their nemesis.

"They must be joking," Brandon scoffed upon seeing the villains'' determined looks.

"_They_ might be jokes, but their _intentions_ sure aren't," Michelle sighed before throwing her arm out and yelling, "Ponyta, fire spin!"

Ponyta opened her mouth and unleashed a swirling burst of red-orange fire. It managed to strike Team Rocket before they could even attempt to do anything, adding charred onto their list of physical ailments.

"Ugh, you stupid brat!" Jewel whined, wiping the ash out of her eyes. She continued to glare at Michelle, who looked nothing less but pleased with what she had done. "You're so smug! You're going to get it! Venonat, leech life!"

The ball of purple fur ran forward and latched its teeth into Ponyta's neck, causing the fire horse to cry out in pain.

"Ponyta!" Michelle cried.

"What's happening?!" Aiden gasped.

"Leech life is a move where the attacking Pokémon sucks the blood of its opponent in order to gain energy for itself!" Brandon replied hurriedly.

"EW! Don't suck my poor Ponyta's blood!" Michelle wailed. She raced forward and grabbed onto Venonat, trying to pull the insect Pokémon off of her fire type. Eventually, she succeeded and threw the dual type off in the direction of its trainer. Jewel managed to catch Venonat before proceeding to give Michelle an even dirtier look.

"Oh, don't you give me that!" Michelle scolded. "You were sucking my Pokémon's blood!"

"_I _wasn't!" Jewel refuted quite angrily. "_Venonat _was, you annoying little brat! Next time, I'll have it suck _your _blood!"

Michelle whimpered and backed away. She, like her mother, was terrified by both blood and needles. So something latching onto her skin and sucking out her blood like some kind of thirsty vampire was not exactly Michelle's idea of fun.

"Hey, no one is allowed to freak my sister out like that but me!" Aiden stormed. "Absol, quick attack, let's go!"

The disaster Pokémon ran so quickly that streaks of white appeared behind him. Once close enough, he rammed his head into Venonat's body, sending the dual type flying into its trainer and her two counterparts.

"Why you!" Jason snarled once he'd managed to sit up. "Zubat, you use leech life too!"

"Not again you don't," Aiden bit. "Absol, block it with night slash!"

The dark type continued to dart towards the blue bat Pokémon. Leaping up in the air so they could be equal, Absol threw his front claws out in front of him, the nails growing a bright crimson. Zubat, at the same time, had opened its mouth and was showing off a pair of pearly white fangs to the disaster Pokémon heading in its direction. Not at all deterred by such a threat, Absol held out his claws until they made contact with Zubat's teeth. It stopped the bat Pokémon from sinking its teeth into Absol, and furthermore, Absol managed to use the collected power in his claws to his advantage. Maneuvering his paws, Absol swiped Zubat across its body, causing the dual type to cry out in pain as it went fluttering listlessly towards the ground.

"That's it, Absol!" Aiden cheered as his dark type Pokémon landed back on his paws.

"Sol," Absol replied simply, closing his eyes and gently bowing his head.

"Oh, my Zubat!" Jason cried out in horror, running over to his beaten bat Pokémon and scooping it up in his arms.

"Alright, it's time for you three to get out of here," Michelle placed her hands on her hips. She really had had enough of these clowns. Even _battling them _was getting to be a chore! "Pichu, use thundershock!"

"Pi!" Pichu nodded before jumping up in the air and powering herself up with bright yellow electricity. "Pi…chu!"

A strong bolt of the electricity went barreling towards Team Rocket and managed to shock all three of them plus their Pokémon, creating a small explosion and sending the evil group up flying in the air.

"No fair!" Jason wailed.

"Yeah, we didn't even get to try stealing all those eggs!" Sneasel added.

"Somehow, this is all _your _fault!" Jewel pointed at a shocked Jason before scrunching up her nose and pointing a second finger at Sneasel. "You too!"

"WHAT?!" The two accused cried out before they disappeared into the sky.

"Good riddance," Michelle smirked. She looked down in order to check on Pichu, since the baby Pokémon could sometimes be affected after using her thunder attack. Indeed, the little mouse had received a small shock in response to the attack, and was now a bit weak. "Aw, poor thing," Michelle sighed, lifting Pichu up in her arms. The baby Pokémon whimpered, but that was all they heard out of the thing. She didn't cry or yelp. The return damage really hadn't been that bad.

"Did those three crooks say they wanted to steal some of our eggs?" Stella frowned.

"Probably," Brandon nodded. "They really have no shame."

"But they didn't get any of 'em!" Aiden cheered. Throwing in a laugh, he added brightly, "or any of the baby Pokémon, either!"

At his feet, the group of rescued baby Pokémon began to celebrate once again, jumping up on Aiden's legs and crying out happily in all of their perspective languages.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you're all safe and sound!" Aiden chuckled, kneeling down so he could pet all of the joyful Pokémon. "It's awesome!"

"I'm still just amazed by how much those babies love you, Aiden," Stella beamed at the young boy. "They can usually be so shy, _especially _Magby. Bu you managed to get them all out of their shells! Why, you even had Magby playing with the others."

"It was no big deal," Aiden blushed slightly. "They're lots of fun!"

"I want to thank you for all of the kindness you've exhibited," Stella grinned.

"Huh?" Aiden got to his feet and gave the old woman a confused stare. "What do you mean?"

Right on time, Stanley came back outside, this time with a case in hand. It was gray on the top and bottom, with a small red knob perched on the top cover. Inside of the clear middle, a Pokémon egg could be seen sitting inside. It was predominantly blue, with a yellow ring towards the top of the oval and a patch of black underneath, wrapping around the entire egg and ending in spikes.

"Please, Aiden," Stanley offered the case to the young boy. "We'd like you to take this egg with you."

"M-me?" Aiden stammered, pointing at himself.

"You've shown how well you work with baby Pokémon, so why not raise one of your own?" Stella questioned with a smile. "I'm sure it'll turn out to be a strong, lovely Pokémon!"

"Are you sure?" Aiden's eyes were wide.

"Of course we are," Stanley nodded. "Take it! It's all yours!"

Beaming, Aiden took the case from Stanley and began to examine it. He had no idea which Pokémon could possibly be inside; that was part of the fun!

"That red knob on top is a poke ball," Stella informed the boy, tapping on the red circle. "Once the Pokémon hatches, you can use that ball to catch it!"

"Thank you so much!" Aiden chuckled, hugging the case to his chest. "I'll take the best care of it! I promise!"

"We know you will, boy," Stanley grinned. "Good luck on the rest of your journey!"

"And with your new Pokémon!" Stella added.

"Thanks," Aiden gave a small nod as he continued to admire his new egg. "I will!"

* * *

**Aiden's got an egg! Any guesses as to which Pokemon will hatch from it? ;)**


	19. Shining Big Contest in Shining Big City

**Hey guys! Sorry this chapter is a few days late, I was on vacation! And it was amazing. But now it's time to come back to the real world, and that includes writing fan fiction :P**

**So, with that out of the way, here's chapter 19 of A New Era! We have a special character appearing in this one ;)**

**Last time: The group stumbled across Superiority Village, where a famous Pokemon nursery is located. They all bond and play with the baby Pokemon, Aiden in particular. After saving the young creatures from the clutches of Team Rocket, Aiden is rewarded with something very special from the nursery couple: a Pokemon egg!**

* * *

**Chapter 19: Shining Big Contest in the Shining Big City**

"Whoa! Saffron City is HUGE!"

Michelle and Brandon were both standing on a grassy overhang, which enabled them to see Saffron City from an up high view. It was evening now, and all of the lights were on in the city. It was absolutely huge, with tall buildings and a hustle and bustle loud enough where the young trainers could hear it even from up high.

"Michelle, don't be so loud! It's sleeping!"

Rolling her eyes, Michelle spun around and placed her hands on her hips, glaring at her twin brother. He was giving her the same look right back, although Michelle was fairly certain he had started giving it to her first. Held in his hands was the egg case that was protecting the egg he had been given by Stanley and Stella in Superiority Village. Aiden had been fiercely defensive of the egg since he'd gotten it, and this fact was honestly starting to get on Michelle's nerves.

"Aiden, you are not the egg's father," Michelle scolded in a hushed voice, solely so she wouldn't have to hear her brother's whining again. "And I don't know if it's even possible for it to be sleeping in there. I don't know _what _a Pokémon does inside of its egg."

"It's _growing,_" Aiden replied as though it were obvious. "And I refuse to have my new Pokémon not be as big and strong as possible just because you insist on being a loudmouth."

"A LOUDMOUTH?" Michelle fumed, lunging at her brother. He backed away, and Brandon managed to grab hold of the infuriated red head before she could do any damage.

"Chu," Pichu sighed from her trainer's shoulder.

"You can't hit me!" Aiden pointed an accusatory finger at Michelle. "I'm with Pokémon child!"

"Arceus, get me away from him," Michelle grumbled, tearing Brandon's hands off of her and stomping away from the two boys.

While Michelle angrily marched away, Aiden set his mischievous chocolate brown eyes on Brandon and asked, "so, Brand-o, think we could stop for the night? I'm petty hungry, and I want to get my egg nice and comfortable!"

"Sure, there's a huge Pokémon Center down in the city," Brandon smiled. "Besides, it'll be good to give Michelle time to cool off after you bugged her."

"I can't help it that she can't handle the fact I'm taking my new responsibility so seriously," Aiden held up the egg case for reference. "You heard Stella. I _am _pretty much going to be like a Dad to this baby Pokémon, so I'm just taking care of it like a real Dad would."

"You're a good trainer, Aiden," Brandon smirked before walking off in the same direction that Michelle had raced off in.

"Thanks, I try," Aiden smiled, following after his best friend.

**XXX**

"You know, they call Saffron City 'The Shining Big City'?" Brandon asked his two travelling partners. They had checked into their room at the Pokémon Center for the night, after having a nice dinner that filled them all up. Michelle was busy debating on which Pokémon to use in the next day's Contest, however, and Aiden was busy polishing his egg. So neither of them had really heard Brandon.

"Uh, guys?" Brandon sweat dropped.

"Oh, sorry, Brandon!" Michelle looked up from her poke balls and smiled at the boy. "I didn't mean to ignore you. Anyway, you said that Saffron City is known as 'The Shining Big City'."

"Yeah," Brandon nodded excitedly. "It's one of the world's busiest and biggest cities! In fact, it's the tenth biggest city in the whole world."

"Wow, that's amazing," Michelle's eyes were wide. "So I wonder how many people will be at the Contest tomorrow…"

"Probably a lot," Aiden commented, causing a worried look to cross Michelle's face. "But don't worry! We'll be there to cheer you on."

"Thanks, Aiden," Michelle smiled at her brother.

"So, have you decided which Pokémon you're going to use in the Contest?" Aiden asked.

"No, I've been debating," Michelle sighed. "I used Butterfree and Ponyta last time, so I was thinking of putting Pichu in for this one. It's only fair, after all." She glanced over to her pillow, where the baby mouse was curled up in a ball and fast asleep. "It's not a Super Contest, so I don't have to use only one Pokémon. Using Pichu for both rounds in my first Contest really wasn't a good idea. She's still too young to handle all of that. But, since I can switch out tomorrow, I was thinking that it might be good for Pichu to be in the appeals round."

"And if you make it to the battle round?" Brandon prodded.

"I think I'll go with Butterfree," Michelle furrowed her brow, as if questioning if she was making the right choice. "I used Ponyta in the battle round last time. Butterfree could use some more battle experience."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Aiden nodded. "I really think you're gonna' do great, Shelly!"

"I hope so," Michelle blushed slightly. "But thanks for believing in me."

"No problem," Aiden smirked.

"So…" Michelle giggled lightly, "how's your little egg doing?"

"Just fine!" Aiden pulled the rag away from the oval's shining blue surface. "I've got it all shined up. I really think it likes it when I clean its shell!"

Getting off her bed, Michelle skirted over to her brother and sat down next to him, smiling at the boy. "Do you mind if I touch it?"

"Sure!" Aiden nodded emphatically.

Reaching out, Michelle gently placed her long, slender fingers on the egg's surface. She just touched it for a few moments, but soon started to rub it, smiling down at the pretty, unmarked oval.

"It's really solid," Michelle informed her brother. "I don't think it'll be close to hatching any time soon."

"That's alright," Aiden rubbed the other side of the egg. "This little one can just take its time! I love taking care of an egg. Besides, I don't want it coming until it's absolutely ready!"

"That's true," Michelle giggled. "The longer it stays in there, the bigger and stronger it will be!"

**XXX**

The next morning, Michelle made sure to get up bright and early in order to start preparing for the Contest. When she had informed Pichu of her intention to enter the little mouse in the first round, she had gotten an absolutely enthusiastic reception from her little partner.

"I'm glad to know you're so excited!" Michelle patted Pichu's head while the electric type jumped up and down. "You're going to be my key to victory, I just know it!"

After the group polished off breakfast, they made their way over to the Contest Hall, where Michelle could register for the Contest and start preparing. While she was at the front desk, Brandon and Aiden were sat on the benches inside the Hall's lobby, with Aiden scrutinizing his egg while Brandon played around with his poke gear.

"Brandon," Aiden frowned, "what if my egg is too cold?"

"I think it's just fine," Brandon reassured the boy. "The case should be keeping it pretty warm."

"But…what if it's not?"

"I wouldn't be so worried, Aiden," Brandon raised an eyebrow. The boy really was acting a bit strange.

"But, maybe I could keep it a little warmer…" Aiden took the top off of the case and removed the egg from inside, holding it in his hands as he continued to stare down at it.

Meanwhile, Michelle was just finishing up registering for the Contest. Right as she turned around, however, she found herself face to face with an unfamiliar girl, causing Michelle to shriek and stumble backwards until her back hit the reception desk.

"Whoa!" Michelle breathed, still frightened from the proximity she'd just had with the other girl.

"Calm down there, lady," the other girl raised a wry eyebrow. "You sure are jumpy…are you weird or something?"

"No, I'm not weird!" Michelle shot back. "_You're _weird! You're the one who was right in my face! What's up with you, anyway?!"

"I was simply checking out the competition for today," the girl huffed. "I wasn't aware that the daughter of the Pokémon Master would be here."

Michelle's face turned red. She really didn't want to keep being compared to her father. Michelle loved him, but she was her own person. She wanted to be known as _Michelle, _and not "the Pokémon Master's daughter."

"Why are you even a coordinator if both of your parents are battlers, anyway?" The girl seemed genuinely curious. "What in the world made you decide to become a _coordinator _of all things?"

"Because I've always loved watching Contests," Michelle grumbled. "Ever since I was a little girl. I wanted to be like all of the coordinators I saw on TV. I wanted to be like my Godmothers."

"Probably famous people too," the girl scoffed.

Michelle narrowed her eyes. Yes, her Godmothers _were _famous, but she wasn't about to tell this little…freak that. Michelle didn't need any more of her rotten attitude. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Zella," the girl answered effortlessly. "I'm the girl who's going to kill you in competition today."

Michelle studied Zella a little more. She had long, black hair that reached about midway down her back. Her bangs were long, and occasionally covered the cool, silver eyes that Michelle couldn't get much of a vibe from. Her shirt was metallic silver, a bit baggy and hanging off her right shoulder, leaving it bare. This was in contrast to her skin tight black jeans and boots, dotted with silver studs and a decently sized heel.

"Yeah, well keep dreaming," Michelle rolled her eyes. "Because _I'm _the one who's going to kill _you._"

"That's pretty big talk coming from a _strange _girl," Zella drawled.

"I am not strange!" Michelle stomped her foot. "And no one in my family is strange! I come from a perfectly normal family!"

"Hey, Shelly, did ya' sign up for the Contest yet?"

Michelle looked over Zella's shoulder and groaned, while the black haired girl turned around to see whoever was talking to her newfound rival.

It was none other than Aiden, smiling at his twin sister with his hands on his stomach, which for some strange reason was rounded and made him look very much _pregnant._

"Yeah," Zella smirked at Michelle, eyes twinkling with mischievousness. "Not strange at _all._" And with that, she stalked away. After watching Zella walk off, Michelle turned her attention back onto her brother, giving him an angry glower.

"What?" Aiden squeaked.

"Seriously?!" Michelle screeched, motioning towards his midsection.

"My egg was cold…" Aiden frowned. "I'm trying to keep it warm!"

Groaning, Michelle buried her face in her hands and shook her head. That entire sequence really could not have gone any worse.

"Well, it looks like someone here has a new rival!"

Michelle spun around, worried about who was talking to her _now. _As it would turn out, however, Michelle had no reason to be concerned. Instead, her miserable expression was replaced with one of surprise and a big smile, her cheeks glowing as she let out a sea of soft giggles.

"May!" Michelle gasped, running up to the brunette.

"Hey, I'm waiting for a hug here!" The woman laughed, holding her arms out. Michelle jumped into her Godmother's arms, giving her as tight a hug as possible as she continued to giggle. Letting go of her goddaughter, May studied the girl quietly for a few moments before marveling, "you look so grown up, Michelle! I can't believe it!"

"Thanks!" Michelle chirped.

Looking beyond the girl, May furrowed her brow when she caught sight of Aiden with a bump for a stomach. "Aiden, what in the world is going on with you?"

The young trainer became a little frantic and pulled the blue egg out from underneath his shirt in order to show it off to his Godmother. "No, May! It's just an egg, see!"

Smirking, May shook her head and laughed, "oh, Aiden. You are just so much like your father! It's the cutest thing."

Aiden pulled a little face of disgust. He _loved_ being compared to his father, so that wasn't the problem. He just didn't enjoy being called cute.

"Where's Brandon, by the way?" May asked. "I thought your Mom told me that he was travelling with you guys."

"Oh, he is," Michelle nodded in confirmation. "He's right over there, on the benches." She pointed over at the portion of the lobby where people could sit and relax, but was surprised to see that Brandon was no longer seated on the bench he had been previously occupying.

"Huh?" Michelle whipped her head around. "Where'd Brandon go?"

At the same time, May let out a strangled cry, causing Aiden and Michelle to stare at her in worry. The brunette looked _very _frantic; her hands balled up by her face with her sapphire hued eyes set wide.

"What's wrong, May?" Aiden blinked.

"Rosie was just here next to me a minute ago!" May fussed, referring to her six year old daughter. "And now she's gone!"

"May, I didn't see her standing next to you even when I turned around," Michelle frowned.

"Oh, where could that little girl have gone?" May whined. "I swear, she has such a knack for wandering off! I can't take my eyes off of her for even a second…I never learn my lesson."

"Don't you take Rosie to Contests all the time?" Michelle prodded.

"Of course," May nodded. "She loves them."

"Well, where does Rosie usually run off to when you bring her to a Contest?"

"She usually finds one of mine and Drew's old rivals," May sighed. "But I can't imagine any of them being in Saffron City."

"Doesn't Rosie love candy and snacks and stuff?" Aiden posed. He knew from experience, in watching both her and Elizabeth, that the two young girls were both sugar lovers who seemed to have a nose for finding the stuff.

"Yeah, she does…" May trailed off.

"So maybe she went to one of the stands to get some snacks," Aiden suggested.

"Hey, that's a great idea, Aiden!" May beamed at her godson. "And I bet you're right, too. Let's head over to the food stands!"

May led the way, Aiden and Michelle helping out by looking all over the Hall for any possible traces of little Rosie. Eventually, however, they didn't have to search any longer after hearing the squeaky voice of the child.

"Yeah, Brandon! That one!"

The concerned trio caught sight of Brandon, standing in front of one of the candy stands, with a small, dark brunette standing at his side.

"_Rosalie Scarlett!" _May scolded, her voice all but seething. She was angry enough to be using the child's full name, which was an _extremely _rare occurrence. May actually hated Rosie's full first name, and usually went out of her way to make sure Rosie knew that absolutely no one could call her 'Rosalie.' It was a long story, but simply put, May hated her daughter's full name, and she would only put it to use when she was truly furious.

The little girl, however, didn't really seem to be too bothered by it. She turned around and cocked a dark brown eyebrow, bright green eyes twinkling with what could only be deemed as mischievousness.

"What, Mommy?" Rosie asked quite innocently. "I found Brandon, and he was getting me candy!"

"Don't lie to me, Rosie," May wagged a finger at the child. She didn't dare use her full first name twice. "I know how you use that little charm of yours. You know you weren't supposed to go anywhere without me!"

"I'm sorry, May," Brandon gave a small bow to the angry woman standing before him. "She really did ask me to get her candy, so I agreed. I thought she had already asked you."

"Don't be sorry, Brandon," May smiled sweetly at the boy. "You didn't know. Rosie's got a way with people where she manages to get what she wants, when she wants it. She's too much like her father."

"Mommy!" Rosie stomped her foot as her face reddened. For whatever reason, she didn't seem to like being compared to her famous father.

Sighing, May motioned to the child with her fingers and coaxed, "just come over here, dear."

Giving up on her anger, Rosie went skipping over to her mother, a box of gummy Pokémon held in her little hands. Rosie was a beautiful girl, just like her mother. She had most of May's features, save for the impish little smirk she gave to everyone. Rosie had gotten that from her father. She also had his eye color: a deep, piercing green. They were shaped like May's eyes, however. Her hair was a dark brown, much darker than May's, with long, neat bangs, and a straight length going down just two inches below her shoulders. She was dressed beautifully, as well, in a white shirt with a red rose embroidered on the front, and a red velvet skirt embroidered with flowers.

"What do you say to Aiden and Michelle?" May pushed her daughter forward.

"Hi!" Rosie greeted brightly before setting her eyes on Michelle. The two girls had perfectly matched orbs. "You're in the Contest, right, Shelly?"

"That's right!" Michelle beamed.

"I'm so excited to watch you!" Rosie squealed. "You'll do great!"

"Thanks, Rosie," Michelle smiled down at her little friend, and apparently fan. Looking back up at the famed coordinator, Michelle asked, "What are you doing here anyway, May?"

"Oh, I was asked to be here as a special presenter for the Contest!" May's eyes were sparkling. "Isn't that just fun? I'm co-hosting today, alongside Lilian!"

"That's amazing!" Michelle clasped her hands together. "Now I'm even more excited for the Contest! I can't wait to get out there and show everyone what I can do!"

"Then you should probably go and start getting ready," May giggled. "I'll be looking out for you today, sweetheart! Good luck!"

"Thanks, May!" Michelle gave her Godmother a wave before running off in the direction of the holding room for the participating coordinators.

**XXX**

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Coming to you live from Saffron City, welcome to today's Contest!"

A loud cheer went up from the crowd. Brandon and Aiden were sitting in the front row, with little Rosie sitting in between them. All three of them were very excited to watch Michelle compete in her third Contest, and they all had high hopes for her.

"I'm your host, Lilian Meridian, and today, I have a very special guest helping me out with announcing!" Lilian yelled. "Please give a warm welcome to the Princes of Hoenn, world famous coordinator; May!"

An even louder cheer sounded. Beaming, May stepped forward and gave a royal esque wave before speaking into her own microphone, "thanks, Lilian! I'm so excited to be here today! Saffron City is a very important place to me, this is where I won my very first Kanto Contest! I can't wait to see what these coordinators can do!"

Michelle was watching from backstage, her emerald eyes sparkling as she watched her Godmother. May was one of Michelle's biggest inspirations, and a huge part of why Michelle had decided to become a coordinator in the first place. She knew she had to do her best in order to impress her. From behind, Zella watched Michelle with narrowed eyes. She knew something was up with that ginger haired weirdo.

"Without further ado, let's get this Contest started!" Lilian called.

Michelle watched the first eight coordinators go, and then it was her turn on stage. She stepped forward, throwing May a huge smile before throwing just one arm up in the arm and outstretching her fingers, much like a ballerina.

"Pichu, curtain call!"

From behind her, Pichu jumped up and landed on the top of Michelle's hand, standing on the toes of her left foot as she outstretched her own little arms.

"What amazing grace!" May marveled into her microphone.

Jumping off of Michelle's hand, Pichu performed a little toe touch before landing on all fours, her ears twitching just once to show her trainer she was ready.

"Pichu, use charge beam!" Michelle ordered.

Pichu got up to her hind legs and held her paws up in the air, two separate balls of bright yellow forming around them. As they grew larger, Pichu began to spin in a circle before throwing the spheres onto the ground, causing them to explode around her. The bursts of electricity cracked all the way up towards the ceiling while they twisted around Pichu's little body.

"Look at how bright that electricity is!" Lilian commented.

"Now, Pichu, use charm!" Michele called.

The little mouse jumped through the torrent of electricity she had created, some of the power following after her body thanks to the static electricity. Her arms were held out, and a shower of hearts enshrouded her small being. They too danced along with the static, eventually all coming together to form one large heart, with Pichu hiding behind it.

"Finish up with thundershock!" Michelle yelled.

Pichu burst through the middle of the heart, already firing off her signature electric attack. The bright yellow surrounded her body, and soon the giant heart that she had just broken through. It lit up like a lamp, causing everyone in the audience to let out an audible _ooh. _

"Look at that heart!" May breathed. "It's glowing!"

Before long, the big heart shattered, the force of which also causing the still lasting charge beam to burst. A flurry of pink and gold sparkles surrounded Pichu, who was now standing on the toes of both of her feet and smiling at the audience.

"What an absolutely incredible performance!" Lilian commentated.

"Michelle really uses her background in dance very well when it comes to her appeals," May added. "The amount of grace she exhibits in every appeal is really exquisite."

"That was awesome!" Rosie squealed. "Michelle is _so _good!"

"Her appeal was definitely strong," Brandon nodded. "I wonder how the judges will score her."

It didn't take long for Michelle's scores to flash up on the judges' panels: 8.4, 8.6, and 8.6.

"And that's a score of 25.6 for Michelle!" Lilian announced.

Michelle smiled, but she did feel a little disheartened. That score was quite a bit lower than the one from her last Contest, and she wanted to be improving. But it _was _still better than the first score she'd ever received, so Michelle was grateful for that. All she could do now was hope that it would be enough to get her to the second round.

"Pi-chu!" Pichu trilled, running up to her trainer.

Giggling, Michelle gathered the baby Pokémon into her arms and cooed, "You did great, Pichu! I'm very, very proud of you."

Pichu smiled happily and snuggled into the young girl. On her way off the stage, Michelle brushed past Zella, who was making her way into the spotlight. Widening her eyes, Michelle stopped in her tracks and watched as Zella took her position, not once recognizing the red headed girl on her way. From off the stage, May watched Zella with a curious glance, her brow slightly furrowed.

_This is that girl who was talking to Michelle before…or at least getting at her, _May thought to herself. _It definitely seemed like rivalry fodder to me…I wonder how this one operates._

"Hey, it's that girl," Aiden blinked. Rosie and Brandon both looked up at the raven haired boy in interest.

"What girl?" Brandon questioned.

"She was talking to Michelle before and firing her all up," Aiden raised an eyebrow. "I think she called me weird, too."

"Well, that's pretty rude," Rosie snorted. "Sounds like a real brat to me."

"Or maybe she's just got it out for Michelle…" Brandon murmured.

Smirking, Zella pulled out her poke ball with a flick of the wrist, tossing the sphere up in the air as she called, "Misdreavus, show off."

The blue light emerging from the red and white ball soon culminated into a ghostly, dark blue Pokémon with lilac tips on its head and piercing red irises on a bright yellow background.

"Misdreavus, huh?" Brandon noted.

"I gotta' check this out," Aiden pulled out his red pokedex and held it up in front of himself.

_Misdreavus, the screech Pokémon. Playful by nature, Misdreavus loves to play pranks on people by using its ghost abilities in order to yank at people's hair or screech at them from behind._

"A ghost type," Aiden marveled.

"It's kind of creepy looking…" Rosie trembled slightly.

"Misdreavus, use shadow ball!" Zella ordered.

The ghost type opened its mouth and began to form a large ball of dark energy. It grew larger and larger until, at last, Misdreavus released it, causing the ball to orbit around her like a planet.

"Now, use hex!" Zella commanded.

Misdreavus' eyes began to glow a bright mixture of red and purple, bright enough for the entire audience to see clearly. As the glow in its eyes grew brighter, the floating shadow ball stopped in its tracks, right above Misdreavus' head. Red beams of light were soon emitting from around the shadow ball, making it look like a dark sun.

Smirking, Zella flipped her hair and yelled, "Finish this up. Use confuse ray."

"Mis…" the large orb in the middle of Misdreavus' "necklace" began to glow a fierce shade of purple, just as bright as its eyes had moments ago. Floating upwards, Misdreavus let out a gentle hum as the orb shot out four silhouettes of the Pokémon form, all of them surrounding the shining shadow orb. After a few more seconds, the red light shining from the shadow orb grew to a much longer length, bursting through Misdreavus' silhouettes and causing them to disappear in a hazy gray smoke. The shadow ball itself also burst into nothing but a violet haze, mixing in with the gray and forming a haunting background behind Misdreavus.

As the audience burst out into applause, Lilian yelled into her microphone, "incredible! Zella really took advantage of Misdreavus' ghost traits and presented a wonderfully spooky appeal!"

Just as it did with Michelle, Zella's scores appeared quickly. From the three judges, she received a 9.0, 9.0, and 9.0.

"And that's a 27.0 for Zella!" Lilian announced.

The crowd cheered again, but Zella didn't exactly seem impressed. Satisfied, but certainly nothing to write home about. Giving a simple shrug of her shoulders, Zella returned Misdreavus to its poke ball and whispered something to the sphere before giving a small wave to the crowd and turning on her heel, marching promptly off the stage with an itchy, almost irritated, smile on her face. Once again, she stalked past Michelle, but this time decided to stop and face the flustered red head.

"Not what I wanted," Zella commented to the girl in a voice that was just as haunting as her appeal had been, "but at least I still did better than you." And, with a short cackle, she continued on her way, leaving behind a confused and slightly creped out Michelle.

Six more coordinators went before the end of the appeals round came. Once it was over, the final eight contestants were announced for the battle rounds. Much to Michelle's delight, she was one of the finalists. But, unfortunately for her, so was Zella.

But Michelle knew she couldn't be preoccupied with that right now. She needed to focus on herself, Butterfree, and the battle round.

"Michelle!"

The red head whipped around and smiled when she realized it was May calling out to her and walking over.

"Hi there, May," Michelle greeted her Godmother.

"Your appeal was great!" May complimented her goddaughter. "And now you've made it to the next round! I'm very proud of you, sweetheart!"

"Thanks," Michelle blushed rather strongly.

"There's a little break before the next round starts," May giggled. "How about you, me, Aiden, Brandon, and Rosie go get a little something to eat before you have to go back out there?"

"Sounds good to me!" Michelle grinned. She really _was_ pretty hungry. "What do you say, Pichu?"

"Pi!" Pichu squealed, eagerly nodding her head.

**XXX**

"So, Michelle, how much do you know about that girl, Zella?"

Michelle frowned up at her Godmother, who was busy drinking her strawberry milkshake. "Not much, to be honest with you. She just came up to me before you showed up and was being sort of weird. She creeps me out a little, actually."

"She called _me _weird," Aiden scoffed.

"That's because you had that egg of yours stuffed up your shirt," Michelle rolled her eyes. "You made yourself look like a pregnant boy!"

"Well, _excuse me_ for trying to keep it warm," Aiden narrowed his eyes.

"You two remind me so much of Damien and this little one," May giggled, ruffling her daughter's hair and causing the young girl to scowl.

"How is Damien?" Michelle's interest was piqued. "I haven't seen him in a little while!"

"He's doing great!" May beamed as she talked about her son. "He's really excited to go on his own journey next year. Every day he's changed his mind about which Pokémon he's going to pick from Professor Birch."

"Has he decided what kind of a trainer he wants to be yet?" Aiden asked.

"I'm almost certain he's decided to be a coordinator," May nodded. "I know he never really liked Contests when he was little, and wanted to be a gym leader like my Dad, but as he got older, I think he really learned from Drew that just because you're a coordinator, doesn't mean you have to do everything so girly. He likes being creative with his attacks, anyway, so I think Damien's decided to go the coordinator route."

"That's great!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling. "Who knows, maybe he and I will be rivals when he starts up!"

"That would be lots of fun!" May giggled.

"I'm going to be a coordinator, too!" Rosie piped up, her green eyes shimmering with excitement. "Once I turn ten. And _I'm _going to get a Torchic, just like my Mommy did!"

"Well, that sure sounds like a plan to me!" Brandon smiled at the younger girl.

"So, speaking of your egg, do you know what kind of Pokémon it is?" May turned her attention onto her godson.

"Nah, no clue!" Aiden smiled. "But I'm really excited to see what Pokémon it is. I don't really care, though, as long as it's healthy!"

"You've had a Pokémon egg before, haven't you, May?" Michelle asked.

"Sure have!" May nodded. "I was given an egg by a couple who had their own Pokémon nursery, just like how Aiden got his own egg! Mine hatched into an Eevee, which I then evolved into the Glaceon I have now."

"I want my own Eevee, too," Rosie sighed dreamily. "A real cute one! And then I'd evolve her into a Leafeon."

"Rosie knows everything she wants, huh?" Aiden chuckled.

"She's a very determined little girl," May smirked.

"Attention all coordinators!" Lilian's voice came over the loudspeaker. "Please report back to the stage for the battle rounds!"

"Guess I gotta' go," Michelle pushed her chair away from the table as she stood up.

"Me too!" May smiled, taking one last sip of her milkshake before joining Michelle on her feet. "Rosie, you keep on behaving for Brandon and Aiden, alright?"

"Sure!" Rosie nodded.

**XXX**

"Here's our first battle! It's Michelle versus Walter!"

Beaming, Michelle tossed her poke ball and called, "Butterfree, curtain call!"

The bug type appeared before her trainer, glorious wings spread out as she prepared for battle.

The dark haired boy standing across the stage from Michelle smirked and withdrew his own red and white sphere, giving a shout of, "Machop, time to fight!"

"Battle, begin!" Lilian called.

Although each battle was given an allotted time of five minutes, it didn't take Michelle half that long to defeat Machop. She and Butterfree managed to seal their second round win in just a minute and a half, earning them a spot in the semifinals.

"Great job, Butterfree!" Michelle complimented her Pokémon as the butterfly floated towards her.

The next battle was between Zella and another coordinator named Earl. Michelle started to watch from backstage, curious as to which Pokémon Zella had chosen for the battle rounds.

"Deino," Zella flicked her poke ball into the air, "show off!"

The blue light emerging from the sphere materialized into a blue skinned Pokémon with black, shaggy fur, standing on all fours while it swished its tail back and forth.

"A Deino?!" Aiden's eyes were wide. "Aren't they from Unova?"

"They sure are," Brandon nodded just once.

"I gotta' see this," Michelle pulled out her light blue pokedex.

_Deino, the irate Pokémon. Deino are blind, and as a result, will bite at absolutely anything. They also ram into anything, ensuring that they always have bruises on their bodies._

"That explains those purple spots on Deino's black fur," Michelle quietly noted to herself.

"Slowbro, you're on!" Earl called out his own Pokémon. The pink dual type stood before Deino with a blank look on its face, causing Zella to smirk. She knew she had this one in the bag.

"Let's get started!" Lilian called as the time started on the board.

"Deino, use dragon rage," Zella ordered effortlessly.

A light blue orb of energy began to form in Deino's open mouth. It grew to full size ad quite quickly and, upon completing that, was shot out into the air in the form of a beam. It hit Slowbro dead on, and once the smoke cleared, it became apparent to everyone in the Contest hall that Slowbro was unable to battle.

"What?!" Michelle gasped.

"No way!" May breathed.

"Did she just knock out Slowbro with one attack?" Aiden's jaw was dropped.

"Yeah," Brandon nodded just once. "Zella's not here to mess around."

"Nice," Zella chuckled, returning Deino to its poke ball. On her way off the stage, she brushed past Michelle and looked over her shoulder to smile sneakily at the red head. "If you make it to the finals, don't think you're going to beat me, you spoiled little brat," Zella cackled as she walked away.

Michelle could only clench her teeth together and growl to no one but herself. She was going to put Zella in her place, no matter the cost.

**XXX**

"After both won thrilling matches in the semifinals, the Saffron City Pokémon Contest all comes down to these two final coordinators! So, let's give it up for Michelle and Zella!"

From opposite ends of the stage, the two young coordinators glared at one another. It was very clear that the two girls were not exactly the best of friends. May could see this from where she stood with Lilian, and knew right away that they were going to have a very good battle. It reminded her a lot of the days when she would have fierce Contest battles with Harley. As irritating and unbelievably creepy as the guy was, he was a great coordinator. He'd always given May a good fight for her ribbons.

"Butterfree, curtain call!" Michelle once again released her bug type.

"Deino, show off!" Zella then released her own Pokémon.

"And, with five minutes on the clock, let the battle begin!" Lilian called.

"Deino, use dragon breath!" Zella ordered, not even giving Michelle a chance at the first move.

Out of Deino's mouth came a transparent burst of energy encircled by white rings. Michelle scoffed. Just because Zella hadn't let her have the first move, or even given her any leeway, didn't mean the girl was just going to give up.

"Butterfree, knock that dragon breath away with gust!"

"Free!" Butterfree began to furiously flap her wings, creating a strong enough wind where it was colored white. The powerful gust managed to push away dragon breath and make it a failing attack, causing Zella to lose points on the board.

"Stupid," Zella spat under her breath.

"Nice work, Butterfree!" Michelle called. "Now, use stun spore!"

Michelle smirked as her Pokémon flapped its wings and flew over Deino, showering the dual type Pokémon in orange powder that would render it useless. She was not about to let Zella gain the upper hand. Not at all.

"Get out of there, Deino!" Zella ordered. The irate Pokémon stumbled out from underneath the curtain of stun spore, but just barely. He ended up falling down on his stomach, all four legs spread out to the sides. Zella gasped in horror, but Michelle was not as affected.

"You're doing great, Butterfree!" Michelle complimented her own dual type as more of Zella's points disappeared from the board. "Let's strike again, while Deino is down!"

"Free!" Butterfree cried, blue rings emanating from her mouth and moving towards Deino. Once they hit the Unovian Pokémon, it cried out in pain and managed to move its front paws to cover its ears.

"What?" Michelle's eyes widened. "Was that…?"

"Michelle!" Brandon called, catching the girl's attention. "That was supersonic! Butterfree just learned supersonic!"

"Awesome!" Michelle laughed, smiling up at her Pokémon. "Great, Butterfree!"

"Good, keep on complimenting your Pokémon!" Zella cackled. "I'll just take advantage! Dragon rage!"

Deino formed the light blue orb of energy in its mouth before releasing it as a beam. The attack hit Butterfree dead on, sending the dual type fluttering down towards the stage and causing Michelle to lose some serious points.

"No!" Michelle hissed before shaking her head and ordering, "Butterfree, quick, get back up and use gust again!"

The butterfly Pokémon managed to regain her bearings and get herself up in the air, rapidly flapping her wings until another strong wind was formed that nearly blew Deino completely off the stage, much to Zella's horror.

"Thirty second warning!" Lilian's voice boomed.

Zella growled and looked up at the scoreboard. Michelle had half her points left, but Zella had even less than that. She knew that if she wanted to win, she was going to have to step up her game.

"Deino, jump and use bite!" Zella commanded.

The irate Pokémon got a running start, eventually taking a huge leap that sent him flying in the air towards Butterfree with an open mouth.

"Butterfree, block it with supersonic!" Michelle held her hand out.

"Free!" Butterfree unleashed the blue sound waves yet again, causing them to knock Deino out of the air and send him crashing back onto the stage.

"WHAT!" Zella cried. Michelle, however, was beaming and had her hands balled up into determined fists. She knew that Butterfree had done well.

"And…time is up!" Lilian called.

Both Zella and Michelle turned their eyes onto the scoreboard. Michelle had the same amount of points that she'd had at the thirty second warning: half. Zella had even less than the last time she'd checked. It was obvious to both girls who the winner had been.

"And, taking the Saffron City Contest ribbon is Michelle!" Lilian announced.

A loud cheer rose from the audience, especially from the two boys and one young girl sitting in the front row. Aiden and Brandon were both clapping and cheering, while Rosie was jumping up and down in sheer excitement.

From the announcer's table, May simply smiled at her goddaughter. Michelle was practically like another daughter to her, so watching the girl succeed in Contests just made May glow with love and joy. She knew that Michelle would only continue to get better.

After congratulating Butterfree on her amazing win, Michelle crossed the stage and made her way over to Zella, offering a kind hand to the dark haired coordinator.

"You put up a great fight!" Michelle complimented the girl. "Nice battle!"

Scoffing, Zella took her own hand and put Michelle's down, much to the red head's annoyance. "I'm sorry, but I only shake hands when _I _win. And I especially don't shake hands with a spoiled brat winner."

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a spoiled brat?" Michelle whined.

"Until I actually believe it," Zella narrowed her silver eyes. And with that, she turned on a heel and marched away, leaving behind a very confused and flustered Michelle.

"Michelle!"

The girl turned her eyes upwards and found May to be smiling at her. Turning to face the older coordinator, Michelle gave May a stunning grin, causing May to giggle.

"You did great, Michelle!" May's eyes were gleaming. "I couldn't be any more proud of you! I can't wait to go see your Mom and Dad and tell them how amazing you were."

"Thanks!" Michelle beamed.

Holding her hand out, May continued to smile as she added, "it's my pleasure to present you with the Saffron City ribbon!"

Oohing, Michelle took her new prize out of May's palm and held it up in front of her face in order to examine it. It was an orange-yellow ribbon that ended in points, with a gold, flower shaped charm in the center.

"Thank you so much!" Michelle squealed, holding the ribbon up so it shined in the spotlight. "Alright! I won the Saffron ribbon!"

"Pi-chu pi!" Pichu squeaked.

"Free!" Butterfree added.

"That's ribbon number two!" Michelle beamed. "Three more to go!"

"I also have some information that you might find valuable," May winked at the younger coordinator, causing her to look up in interest. "The next Pokémon Contest is going to be held in Celadon City! Think you're going to enter?"

"I know I am!" Michelle gave her godmother a determined look. "And I'll win, too!"

"As confident as ever, just like your dad!" May laughed. "I'll be sure to watch that one!"

"You have to!" Michelle nodded, holding her new ribbon up to her heart. "I'll get my third ribbon for sure!"

* * *

**Yep, May showed up. The other old characters will continue to make appearances throughout the story.**

**And Michelle's newest rival, Zella, is an OC created by EchoingBreeze. She'll be showing up more along the way as well; a Harley like character, as May indicated.**

**Next time focuses on Aiden. So...stay tuned!**


	20. The Mistress of Psychic Pokemon!

**I'm still riding on my "hockey is back" high. It's the most beautiful feeling in the entire world.**

**Last time: Michelle faced her third Contest, this one in Saffron City. There, the group is surprised to find that May is the assistant MC for the event, and she's brought along her young daughter, Rosie. Michelle is the most excited about this, seeing as May is her Godmother and role model. Michelle also comes across trouble, however, in the form of a new rival: a somewhat creepy girl named Zella who despises Michelle for her family background. Not willing to be beaten, however, Michelle pulls of an amazing appeal and battle in order to win her second ribbon! Now, it's time for Aiden's battle at the Saffron gym!**

* * *

**Chapter 20: The Mistress of Psychic Pokémon!**

It was a beautiful morning in Saffron City. The newly risen sun was shining brightly, and people all over the city were all starting their daily routines. In the city's Pokémon Center, many of the young trainers staying inside were still asleep, including the three most prominent of them all.

Brandon was in the midst of a wonderful dream about Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. He was smiling in his sleep, occasionally drooling and muttering some kind of nonsense that could only be deciphered as potential love talk.

Michelle, meanwhile, was busy dreaming about her latest Contest and the brand new ribbon that was now her own. She was the neatest sleeper of the three, lying on her side with her hands underneath her head as she gently smiled. Pichu was curled up in a ball on the girl's pillow, sleeping very soundly behind her trainer's head. Pichu knew she was safe there because Michelle never moved in her sleep; she just stayed in one place all night long.

Aiden was the lightest sleeper, but even he was out like a light at the moment. He slept with his egg right next to him, wanting to keep the unhatched Pokémon as warm as possible. Aiden wanted it to hatch sooner rather than later, and he knew the only way to do that was by keeping the egg nice and warm. So, he'd been sleeping with it in his bed. Aiden had a habit of rolling around everywhere, much like his father, but also like his father, he was able to sense when there was some other being in the bed and that he couldn't be rolling around. Although Ash hadn't seemed to have gotten that memo with Misty…

Either way, Aiden was snuggled up against his egg and snoring lightly, having the occasional dream about his egg and what it might hatch into. He'd had a different dream every night about what his new Pokémon would be. Everything from a Sharpedo to a Munchlax to a Mime Jr.

On this particular morning, as the sun rose above the clouds, Aiden was awoken by something…strange. He opened his eyes slowly, at first, and moved his hand up onto the surface of the egg. After another moment, his eyes shot open, and he pushed himself up on his hands, staring down at the egg in awe. Jumping out of bed, he ran over to Brandon's bed first, and then Michelle's, shaking the occupants until they were fully awake. Or, at least he thought they were.

"What's the big idea?" Michelle grumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Guys, come here!" Aiden urged, his own eyes wide with excitement.

Brandon groaned but slid out of bed. Michelle, on the other hand, was not eager. She simply continued to sit up in bed, arms folded across her chest as she glared at her two male counterparts. Aiden held the egg up in front of himself, telling Brandon to "feel it!"

Raising an eyebrow, Brandon reached out and pressed his hand against the egg. After a moment, he gasped in surprise and looked over his shoulder, calling, "Michelle! Get over here!"

"Ugh, why?" Michelle threw herself back down on the bed. "I'm tired!"

"No, this is really amazing," Brandon smiled at the girl. "You won't regret getting out of bed for it!"

"Wanna' bet?" Michelle grumbled, finally sliding out of bed and padding across the floor to where Brandon and Aiden stood. Reaching out, she too touched the egg, but once she realized what Aiden and Brandon had been fussing about, she finally bolted wide awake.

"Something's moving in there!" Michelle marveled.

"Yeah!" Aiden chuckled. "Isn't that awesome?"

"It's just like when we had that Bulbasaur egg!" Michelle clasped her hands together. "You know what that means, don't you, Aiden?"

"Yeah, the egg must be closer to hatching!" Aiden smiled.

"I'm so excited to see what it'll hatch into," Michelle leaned in closer to the egg. "There's so many different Pokémon that could come out of it! I think it might even be a water type."

"What makes you think that?" Aiden asked, genuinely curious.

"The egg is blue," Michelle shrugged. "When I think of a water type, the color blue always comes to mind!"

"But there's some yellow on there, too," Brandon pointed out. "It might be an electric type!"

"Like Pichu!" Michelle giggled.

Hearing her name, the baby Pokémon picked her head up from Michelle's pillow and quietly squeaked, "chu?"

Smiling, Michelle hurried back over to her bed and lifted Pichu up, cooing, "aw, good morning, cutie! Did you hear your name?"

"Pi," Pichu nodded.

"We were just talking about Aiden's egg is all!" Michelle laughed, carrying the baby Pokémon over to the boys. "What do you think, Pichu? Is Aiden's egg going to hatch into a little Pichu, just like you?"

"Pi-chu," Pichu huffed.

"Guess she doesn't think so!" Aiden chuckled.

"You gotta' cool it with the jealousy, little girl," Michelle smirked, gently tapping her partner on her little yellow head.

**XXX**

"Alright. Next stop: Saffron gym!"

Aiden was proudly leading the way, Michelle and Brandon trailing behind him. He was absolutely ready for this gym battle, and to win his third badge!

"Aiden, do you know which Pokémon you're gonna' use?" Brandon asked.

"Well, I know for a fact that Sabrina uses psychic types," Aiden murmured, tapping his chin. "So…I'm _definitely _going to use Absol, since they're weak to dark types. There! That's a great plan! That third badge is _so_ mine."

The group eventually reached an unusual-dome shaped building colored in white. Two large, sliding glass doors were the main entrance to the building, and Aiden walked right in without any hesitation. Brandon and Michelle, on the other hand, were a little more nervous. They both knew all about Sabrina, since they both had a gym leader for a parent, and weren't raring to get a gym badge like Aiden was. They were more anxious than anything.

Eventually, though, they did follow behind the raven haired boy, who was now finding himself in a hallway lined by various doors. He looked pretty confused, even from the back.

"What's up?" Aiden muttered. "Where's the battle field?"

"And what're all these doors for?" Michelle followed up.

"You don't _know?!_"

The three young trainers all looked up, finding themselves staring at a green haired, blue eyed boy wearing a purple shirt and pants.

"Uh…no," Aiden blinked.

"This is the institute for the study of psychic abilities!" The boy placed his hands on his hips.

"But…I thought this was the Saffron City gym?" Aiden frowned.

"Well, you were wrong, so you might as well turn back now and go back to wherever you came from," the boy huffed.

"Hey, wait just one minute…" Brandon leaned forward, scrutinizing the boy's face, "don't I know you?"

"Uh…no…" he sweat dropped.

"Actually, you're right, Brandon," Michelle stepped closer to the irritated boy as well. "I think we _do _know him! You're Franklin!"

Groaning, the boy rolled his eyes and bit, "_no. _I'm _Jared._"

"Oh, right," Michelle giggled nervously. "Sorry! You and he just look so much alike!"

"Yeah, sure," Jared mumbled.

"Jared? Are you causing trouble again?"

From behind Jared appeared another boy, who looked quite identical to the younger one. The only real difference between the two was that Jared was shorter and had slightly longer hair. Even their _outfits _were the same.

"Of course not, Franklin," Jared chuckled nervously.

"Mom wouldn't be happy to know that you're messing around with challengers again," Franklin clicked his tongue.

"I am not!" Jared shouted.

"Wait, challengers?" Aiden questioned before narrowing his eyes at the taller boy with green hair. "Hey! You said this wasn't the gym!"

"Of course this is the gym," Franklin replied before Jared could. "Jared here was just lying to you because he likes being a bit of a brat. I'm terribly sorry about it." Franklin gave Aiden a small bow before standing back up and examining the boy's face. "Say, you look sort of familiar."

"We've met before," Michelle supplied for her brother. "I'm Michelle, and that's Aiden. Our Mom is Misty, the Cerulean City gym leader!"

"Ah, yes, now I remember!" Franklin beamed. "It's been quite some time!"

"How come I don't remember meeting either of them before?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"We were much younger the last time we saw them," Michelle helped.

"But _you _remember?" Aiden blinked.

"Well, I don't exactly remember e_verything, _but I remember their faces," Michelle explained. "I'm good with people's faces. But I don't think we've seen either Franklin or Jared since we were very little."

"But our Mom _does _talk about you guys," Franklin smiled. "And she told us a little while ago that you guys had set off on your journeys! So, Aiden, you must be here to challenge my Mom to a battle."

"That's right!" Aiden beamed. "I'm here to win my third gym badge!"

"Well, it's too bad that Mom is out right now," Jared huffed, folding his arms. Aiden gave the shorter green haired boy a glare, while Franklin sighed and gave Jared a shove on the shoulder.

"Just ignore him," Franklin eyed Jared before smiling sympathetically at Aiden. "Unfortunately, yes, our Mom _is _out with our Grandfather at the moment. But she should be back very soon. You can just wait here until she comes back."

"Uh…thanks," Aiden sighed.

"So, Franklin, Jared told us that all these doors are for the institute for the study of psychic abilities," Brandon spoke. "What's that about?"

"It's where people with special psychic abilities can come and hone their powers," Franklin explained. "The best psychic users from all around the world come here to train. There are all different kinds of technique they use, too."

"That's so cool!" Michelle marveled.

"You and I have played before as well, haven't we?" Franklin turned towards Brandon.

"We sure have," Brandon nodded. "My Dad is Forrest, the Pewter City gym leader!"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Franklin smirked. "Very good memories."

Suddenly, something seemed to have snapped within Jared, as he yelled at Franklin, "what are you wasting your time with telling them about the institute? It doesn't matter unless you're psychic!"

"That doesn't mean they can't know about it," Franklin furrowed his brow.

"Well, _I _don't think they should know _anything,_" Jared refuted. "It's all pointless! The kid is here for a battle, and if he really wants to challenge Mom, then I want him to take _me _on first!"

"Huh?!" Brandon and Michelle gasped.

"Jared, you're being unreasonable," Franklin sighed.

"I am not!" Jared argued. "If he's tough enough, he'll battle me!" Looking towards Aiden, Jared scowled and posed, "what do you say?"

"Sure, I'll battle you," Aiden held up a determined fist. "Bring it on!"

**XXX**

Franklin and Jared led the three young trainers to the battle field, where their mother held all of her gym battles. It was a simple, dark room, dimly lit by just four cauldrons by each far wall. Three large stone pillars lined the side walls, which were made of a rich, dark wood. Jared took the far battlers' box, which was situated in front of a large red and gold chair, which Aiden assumed must have been Sabrina's. Smirking, Aiden took up the box closest to the doors which they had just entered. As soon as he stepped into the rectangle, the heavy stone doors behind Aiden slammed shut, alarming both him and his two companions. Franklin and Jared, however, were not bothered by the booming noise. They were obviously used to it.

"Shall I be the referee?" Franklin asked.

"No," Jared replied quickly. "I don't need you. I want a _real _referee for this battle."

And with that, Jared's eyes began to glow blue. Aiden was shocked and nearly fell over, while Brandon and Michelle were just as surprised. Franklin, on the other hand, simply huffed and looked away from his younger brother with a noticeable scowl.

A seemingly secret door in the side wall opened up, revealing the figure of a tall young man with purple hair and dark, nearly black eyes, dressed in an outfit quite similar to Franklin and Jared's save for the light blue color.

"You've requested me to referee, young Jared?" The newcomer asked.

"Yes, Tyron," Jared smirked at the purple haired man as his eyes stopped glowing. "That would be excellent."

"Tyron?" Michelle asked.

"He's one of the top students at the institute," Franklin explained. "All of the elite students work as apprentices for our mother. They do gym work and referee matches."

"What do you say, Aiden?" Jared turned his attention onto a still stunned Aiden. "A one on one match sound good to you?"

"Perfect," Aiden finally managed to smile and nod.

"Alright, this will be a one on one battle!" Tyron called. "The first trainer to have their Pokémon knocked out is the loser. Now, recall your Pokémon!"

"Exeggcute, let's go!" Jared threw his poke ball. In front of him appeared a group of six light pink eggs, each with a different expression on their face.

"Exeggcute, huh?" Aiden scanned the Pokémon with his pokedex.

_Exeggcute, the egg Pokémon. The six eggs travel with one another at all times, and communicate through a form of telepathy that only they can understand. _

"Definitely a good Pokémon for a psychic type trainer," Aiden murmured before withdrawing his own poke ball. "But it's also half grass type! Growlithe, I choose you!"

The puppy Pokémon appeared in front of its trainer, letting out an excited little yip before glaring at the Exeggcute standing several feet away.

"Battle begin!" Tyron ordered.

"Exeggcute, bullet seed!" Jared called.

All six eggs opened their mouths and shot out a barrage of seeds towards Growlithe, who was bending his legs in preparation for Aiden's call.

"Growlithe, burn those seeds down with ember!" Aiden commanded.

Growlithe unleashed the small bits of fire, which collided midair with the seeds and burned them down as soon as the two attacks made contact. Aiden could tell that Growlithe was eager to get physical, and he decided he wasn't going to hold back the fire type any longer.

"Nice, Growlithe. Now, use bite!"

"Growl!" Growlithe finally charged forward, a flash of orange fur as he reached Exeggcute very quickly and sunk his teeth into the middle egg, which spread pain throughout the entire clutch.

"Ex!" The group of six cried out.

"Ah, Exeggcute," Jared breathed.

"That Growlithe is amazingly fast," Franklin's eyes were wide.

"That's one of Growlithe's best abilities, for sure," Brandon nodded.

"Don't stop now, Growlithe!" Aiden smirked. He knew he had control of this battle at the moment. "Use dig!"

"Growl!" Growlithe sunk his pearly white claws into the dirt ground of the battle field and started to dig a hole into the dusty surface.

"Oh no you don't!" Jared narrowed his eyes. "Exeggcute, use confusion!"

"Ex…" Exeggcute's eyes started to glow a fierce shade of blue. Within seconds, Growlithe was pulled up from the hole he had dug, his entire body outlined in the same color. The fire type looked very startled, and his trainer's own expression wasn't much different.

"Growlithe!" Aiden cried.

"Throw it, Exeggcute!" Jared yelled.

Exeggcute's eyes just continued to glow, but that didn't mean nothing was happening. On the contrary, Growlithe's body went flying through the air and ended up smashing against the wooden wall behind Aiden. Gasping, the raven haired trainer whipped around and stared at his fire type in worry.

"Whoa, that was something…" Michelle pulled up.

"Confusion is a very powerful move," Franklin nodded. "It gives the Pokémon complete control over its opponent's body…they can't do anything about it."

"Growlithe, get up, please?" Aiden begged of the puppy. Growlithe was in an obvious amount of pain, his eyes screwed shut and his teeth clenched. Slowly, Growlithe managed to push himself back up on his paws, and was soon up all the way, eyes opening in order to shoot a glare Exeggcute's way. "Good, you're okay. Try bite again!"

Growlithe yipped and ran back onto the battlefield, making his way towards Exeggcute. Jared didn't look at all nervous, however. He knew how to approach this now.

"Exeggcute, light screen!"

A golden box appeared around the clutch of pink eggs, and before Aiden could tell Growlithe to move away, the fire type ran straight into the defensive attack. It sent him flying backwards, skidding across the dirt surface on his side. Fortunately, it was not as hard of a hit as being thrown against the wall, and Growlithe was able to get up much more quickly than last time.

"Alright," Aiden bit his lip before deciding, "Growlithe, let's try dig one more time!"

Growlithe once again dug his claws into the dirt and started to work on a new hole, trying to do so more quickly than last time.

"Oh please, this again?" Jared smirked. "Exeggcute, let's do exactly what we did before! Confusion!"

Exeggcute's eyes began to glow blue again, and the egg Pokémon simply waited for it to affect Growlithe and bring the fire type back up to the surface. But it never did, however. After a few more moments of waiting, Growlithe emerged right underneath Exeggcute, knocking into the dual type and sending it flying.

"Exeggcute!" Jared cried before grinding his teeth together. "Ugh, why didn't confusion work?"

"Because Growlithe managed to make work of its dig much more quickly than last time," Franklin yelled to his brother, who looked up in only slight interest. "Growlithe must have known you were going to try that move again."

"Yeah, so says you," Jared huffed, causing Franklin to scowl.

Brandon made a confused noise, causing Michelle to giggle and lean over to the future breeder, quipping, "siblings sure are fun, huh, Brandon?"

"Wouldn't know, other than from you two," Brandon chuckled.

Exeggcute recollected itself in front of Jared, still raring for battle. This brought the sly smile back to the psychic trainer's face. "Alright. Exeggcute, extrasensory!"

Exeggcute's eyes, all twelve of them, began to glow gold before the middle and largest egg unleashed a rainbow colored beam from its mouth.

"Quick, Growlithe, dodge it!" Aiden ordered.

Taking advantage of his speed, Growlithe jumped over the attack with ease, landing skillfully back on his paws once the extrasensory had effectively died out without making contact.

"You're doing great, Growlithe," Aiden smirked. "Ember, again!"

Bouncing up on the pads of his paws, Growlithe started running closer to Exeggcute and fired off his ember attack, just as Aiden had ordered.

"Exeggcute, confusion!" Jared ordered.

The blue glow once again returned to Exeggcute's eyes and was soon spread to outline the embers. They quickly turned around and started shooting towards Growlithe, causing Aiden to scowl.

"Growlithe, get out of the way!" Aiden called.

"Growl!" Growlithe jumped right over the controlled embers, looking over his shoulder once he landed back on his paws. The embers had now turned around and were coming back at him, still being controlled by Exeggcute's confusion. "Jump again!"

Growlithe took another leap over the embers. Once he landed, Growlithe started to dash, the embers never ceasing to trail after him.

_Growlithe is gonna' get tired if he just keeps jumping and running from his own ember attack, _Aiden thought to himself. _Wait! I've got it! _

"Growlithe, use dig!"

Growlithe started to claw into the battle field for the third time, forming an all-new hole that he disappeared into. The blue glow around the embers disappeared, and without it, the embers died out.

"Can't use confusion on Growlithe again," Jared grumbled to himself. "He's too far underground already…"

Before Jared could come up with any other ideas, Growlithe emerged from underground and tackled Exeggcute so it went flying into the air and landed with a harsh thud.

"Exeggcute?" Jared leaned in, his eyes wide.

In front of his feet, Exeggcute laid with bruises on its body and swirls in its eyes; completely beat and worn out.

"Exeggcute is unable to battle," Tyron called, "which means the winner is Aiden!"

"Yes!" Aiden cheered, Growlithe running up to him with a wagging tail. Chuckling, Aiden knelt down and patted Growlithe's head, complimenting the fire type, "good boy! You did so great! You just keep on getting stronger, huh?"

Groaning, Jared returned Exeggcute to its poke ball and walked over to Aiden from across the battle field.

"You're strong," Jared commented simply.

Looking up at the older boy, Aiden stood back to his full height with a slightly confused look on his face. "Oh…thanks." He perked up considerably as he asked his next burning question, "does that mean I can battle your Mom now?"

"Well-"

"Jared? What are you doing?"

The green haired boy looked over Aiden's shoulder and became startled. Aiden turned around as well, and his own eyes widened in shock.

There was a woman standing in the stone doorway of the battle area. She had very long, green hair that was much darker than Franklin and Jared's. Her bangs were long and almost covered her dark blue eyes. She wore a dark pink spaghetti strapped top, vertically striped and ending just above her navel. On her legs were white jeans, accentuated by a dark belt and dark pink flats.

"Is that…" Aiden murmured.

"Oh, hello, Mother," Jared spoke up, his voice far more quiet and timid than it had been since Aiden's arrival.

"Hmm," Sabrina crossed her arms and stepped further into the room, until she was right next to Aiden. She looked down and caught sight of Aiden, simply staring at the boy for a few seconds before turning her attention back onto the field. "There are holes everywhere."

"Uh…" Jared spun around and looked at the field with his own eyes. "Oh, yeah…"

Looking towards the far right wall, Sabrina's eyes flickered as she commented in a mundane voice, "and I see Tyron is here…in the referee's spot."

"Yes."

Sighing, Sabrina looked her younger son right in the eyes and prompted, "You were battling again, I see."

"Yes, Mother," Jared nodded.

"And causing trouble for challengers."

"Uh, well, I wouldn't necessarily say that…"

"Silence," Sabrina scolded. Jared stopped talking right away, and Aiden was impressed. No one had managed to control Jared. That was until Sabrina had showed up, anyway.

"Tyron, you return to your studies," Sabrina ordered calmly, without so much looking at the purple haired boy.

"Yes ma'am," Tyron nodded and disappeared through the secret wall door.

"And you, Jared," Sabrina sighed, finally letting a small flicker of emotion shine through. "You clean up this field, right away. I have a feeling I'll be battling in a little while." She once again looked at Aiden, who was surprised by the fact that Sabrina seemed so interested in him.

"Alright," Jared turned towards the field, his eyes beginning to glow blue once again.

"And you are not to use your psychic abilities in order to do so," Sabrina added.

Sighing, Jared put his head down and closed his eyes. Once they reopened, the blue glow was gone. He made his way back onto the battle field, walking across to the wall in order to fetch a shovel so he could properly level the dirt on the field.

"Franklin, I believe you have some studies that have been left unattended," Sabrina started walking towards the stone doorway. "Why don't you see to those?"

"Yes, Mother," Franklin nodded, walking out through the same door as Tyron.

"As for you three," Sabrina stopped right in front of the main doorway, surprising Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon, "I'd like you to follow me."

The three trainers exchanged bewildered looks. None of them understood what Sabrina wanted, but none of them wanted to not listen to her, either. Being the children of other gym leaders, they all knew the kinds of powers that Sabrina possessed. So, without a single word, they all followed the psychic type gym leader out of the battle area and down the hallway, entering a large wooden door that was framed by gold accents. It was much larger and more elaborate than all of the other doors, and the reason for that soon became very apparent.

The ornate doorway led into an even more baroque room. The walls were a deep, rich red color, and the floors were made of dark hardwood. At the head of the room was a dark wooden desk, a large, red velvet chair lined in gold sitting behind it. There were dark wooden picture frames hanging from the walls, bordering intricate portraits. Against the right wall was a gold brocade settee, decorated with red velvet pillows. In that far corner, a matching brocade chair sat; a small, dark hardwood coffee table set between the two pieces of furniture.

"Is this your office?" Aiden awed.

"Yes," Sabrina replied.

"Wow, it's way fancier than our Mom's office," Michelle marveled.

"It's definitely more intricate than my Dad's," Brandon nodded.

Walking towards the couch, Sabrina motioned just one hand towards the divan and ordered, "Please, have a seat."

The three young trainers exchanged looks but approached the couch, taking their seats and watching Sabrina's every move with curious eyes. Pichu, who was sitting atop Michelle's shoulder, squeaked quietly in her trainer's ear, not exactly understanding what was going on either. All she knew was that the humans were feeling pretty tense.

With her three new visitors settled, Sabrina took up the gold brocade chair that sat adjacent to the couch and crossed one leg over the over, not once taking her cobalt blue eyes off of the young trainers.

"So," she began, slowly and calmly, "you three have all grown up quite a bit, I see. You're all trainers now?"

"Yes, ma'am," Michelle nodded slowly.

"Michelle, please," Sabrina replied, an actual hint of mischievousness apparent in her voice. "You may call me Sabrina."

"Oh…okay," Michelle shifted nervously on the couch. "You know my name?"

"Of course I do," Sabrina gave a single nod of her head. "I've known you and Aiden since you were just babies. Your mother and I are fairly good friends, after all. Not to mention colleagues. And you, Brandon, I know your father just as well."

"Yeah, I guess you do," Brandon gave the psychic gym leader a small smile.

"So, are all three of you here for a gym match?"

"No, just Aiden," Michelle answered. "I'm a coordinator, and Brandon is a breeder."

"Ah, different goals I see," Sabrina noted, "but all similar paths."

"Yeah, we all like to train our Pokémon and become friends with 'em!" Aiden was excited, temporarily forgetting his apprehension around the woman.

"You sound very much like your father, Aiden," Sabrina seemed amused by this. "I'm impressed. Your mother always told me you were just like him. I saw it when you were younger, too. But it appears that it's only gotten stronger over the years."

"I look up to my Dad for everything," Aiden beamed. "He's the best!"

"Indeed," Sabrina actually showed off a small smile. "Very compassionate and talented. I look forward to battling you and seeing just how much like your father you truly are. Once Jared fixes up the field, of course."

"What's up with him, anyway?" Aiden asked, earning an elbow in the side from Michelle.

"It's quite alright," Sabrina giggled softly at Michelle's reaction. "I understand why you would ask such a question. You see, Franklin and Jared are both older than you, I'm sure you remember. Franklin is 15, and Jared is 13. Franklin is a very mellow boy, he always has been. But Jared is much more free spirited. He's never exactly been defiant, though. This is a new development. Lately, he's been trying to turn people away from the gym, and using his psychic abilities for things he really shouldn't be using for them for. It worries me, though I went through a similar stage as a teenager. I suppose there was no avoiding it for at least one of my boys."

"But you can't pinpoint an exact reason as to why he's been acting out?" Brandon questioned.

"Not entirely," Sabrina shook her head. "I think it just has something to do with his psychic abilities. It's not exactly usual for a teenage boy to have such powers. I'm sure with time he'll calm down. But, for now, I'll just have to keep him in check."

"Sounds like quite the job," Michelle's eyes widened.

"By the way, Aiden, has your father ever told you about the time he challenged me to a gym battle?" Sabrina mentioned.

"Probably," Aiden smiled. "He tells me all about his own adventures! It's all I wanted to hear about as a kid. But I think I remember him telling me that he had to go to Lavender Town in order to catch a Pokémon who could actually defeat you. A…Haunter?"

"That's exactly right," Sabrina nodded.

"And then that Hunter stayed with you, right?" Michelle piped up. She had listened to her father's stories as a child as well.

"Indeed, he did," Sabrina smirked and snapped her fingers. From behind her desk, a poke ball appeared in midair and began to float over towards her. The three young trainers seated on the couch were very impressed by this, to say the least. They watched in awe, with dropped jaws, as the poke ball floated over to Sabrina. Once it was right in front of her, the gym leader held up her hands and allowed the red and white sphere to land right in her palms. Still, without doing anything physically, the poke ball popped open and released a blue light, which materialized into a purple, bipedal Pokémon with a rather scary face.

"Hey, it's a Gengar!" Brandon marveled.

"Does that mean my Dad's Haunter evolved?" Aiden's eyes widened.

"It sure did," Sabrina confirmed. "I did some training from time to time with Haunter, though it was more difficult because I couldn't use it in battle. But after a while, Haunter just happened to evolve into Gengar. He still never fails to make me smile, though!"

"Gengar, let's see…" Aiden pulled out his red pokedex.

_Gengar, the shadow Pokémon, and the evolved form of Haunter. Gengar are very mischievous and enjoy playing practical jokes. Its body acts as a heat sink and cools the area surrounding it._

"That's pretty cool," Aiden smiled, putting his pokedex away. "I bet Dad will be really happy to know you got his Haunter to evolve!"

"Gengar really is a wonderful Pokémon," Sabrina patted the dual type's head. "I wish I could use him in battle! But I can't, since he isn't a psychic type."

"Mom?"

The four inhabitants of the room all looked up, finding Jared standing in the doorway. He had only creaked it open enough to poke his head in, since he knew his mother didn't like people seeing the inside of her office unless they were personally invited in by her.

"Yes, Jared?" Sabrina patiently prodded.

"I…fixed the field for your battle with Aiden," Jared's voice was much more timid than it had been before.

"Excellent," Sabrina got to her feet, Gengar laughing wildly and clapping his hands together. "What do you say, Aiden? Are you ready to battle?"

"Yeah!" Aiden jumped to his own feet, determined fists held in front of his face. "I am!"

**XXX**

"Brandon, Michelle, I need you guys to watch my egg."

The red head and darker boy stared up at Aiden in confusion. The raven haired trainer held the case in his hands, dark blue egg safely inside the glass.

"You can't just leave it in your backpack?" Michelle asked.

"No way, I want it to stay super safe while I battle," Aiden shook his head. "Besides, since this _is _a gym battle, maybe it can hear in there and will start to learn all about battling! I want my newest Pokémon to be a super great battler, after all."

"You are a strange boy, eh," Michelle sighed.

"I am not!" Aiden bit. "I'm just a smart trainer!"

"Chill out, you two," Brandon sighed, taking the case from Aiden. "Sure thing, bud. We'll watch the egg for you."

"Thanks, Brand-o!" Aiden gave his best friend a thumbs up before returning to the same battler's box he'd been in before, during his battle with Jared.

Sabrina was across the field, sitting in her red and gold throne and staring at Aiden with contemplative eyes. The boy stood firm in his rectangle, hands clenched into fists at his sides as he waited for the first call to be made.

Tyron had been brought back into the battle area by Sabrina. She wanted him to referee the gym match. Franklin and Jared were not allowed to watch the gym battles, Aiden and his two companions had learned. Sabrina found it too distracting; for her as the leader, and for the boys as students of the institute. She wanted them to focus on honing their psychic abilities. Training for them was secondary.

"This Saffron City gym battle between gym leader Sabrina and Aiden Ketchum from Cerulean City is about to get underway!" Tyron called. "Each trainer is allowed one Pokémon each. Whoever has the last Pokémon standing will be the winner. Are we clear on the rules?"

"Very," Aiden yelled. Sabrina simply nodded in response.

"Excellent," Tyron raised both of his arms in the air. "Now, choose your Pokémon!"

Sabrina's body became outlined in blue; her psychic powers. Her body floated off of the large chair and landed instead in the battler's box right in front of the throne, on her feet. That same glow soon lifted a poke ball into the air, from next to the elaborate chair. It soon stopped in front of Sabrina, opening up and releasing her Pokémon of choice: a brown furred, bipedal Pokémon with shifty eyes, a large moustache, and a silver spoon held in each hand.

"No way…" Aiden used his pokedex to scan the creature.

_Alakazam, the psi Pokémon, and the evolved form of Kadabra. Alakazam has mastered every form of known psychic abilities. It has an IQ of 5,000 and can remember everything that has happened to it since the moment it hatched._

"My Dad always told me about how Sabrina had a really powerful Kadabra, her partner," Brandon mused. "That Kadabra must have evolved."

Michelle nodded slowly. A gentle tapping sound caught her attention, causing her to look down. The dark blue egg was gently knocking against the case, causing Michelle to raise an eyebrow. It was a bit strange. She assumed that the bench they were sitting on must have been a little uneven, causing the egg to tilt.

"Alright, I've got this one," Aiden grinned, tossing his own poke ball. "Absol, let's go!"

The dark type appeared before its trainer, ruby red eyes narrowing at the sight of Alakazam as it prepared itself for battle.

"With both Pokémon released…" Tyron threw his arms down, "battle begin!"

"Absol, quick, use night slash!" Aiden ordered. The dark type nodded and began to stride forward before leaping in the air and drawing his bright, glowing claws in front of himself.

"Teleport," Sabrina calmly commanded.

Alakazam disappeared in a split second, causing Absol to skid forward on the battle field. The power in his claws died out, causing the white furred Pokémon to growl and look over his shoulder, eyes narrowed as he kept a lookout for Alakazam.

"Where did it go?!" Aiden's own eyes were wide with disbelief.

"Psybeam," Sabrina's voice sounded again.

Alakazam reappeared behind Absol, who by now was once again looking forward. Without seeing the re-emerged psychic type, Absol was hit by two beams of rainbow colored light. The dark type cried out in pain as he was pushed down, a cloud of dirt surrounding his body.

"Absol!" Aiden gasped.

"Excellent," Sabrina's voice continued to drone. "Now, Alakazam, let's use psycho cut."

Alakazam swung his arms forward, both of which were now glowing bright blue. Bright white blades shot forward, emerging from Alakazam's glowing forearms.

"Absol, use double team!" Aiden yelled hurriedly.

Immediately, ten different Absol appeared, surrounding Alakazam in a circle. The white blades cut through one of the Absol, which turned out to be nothing more than an illusion.

"Well, the boy is finally thinking on his toes," Sabrina finally smirked. "Like his father."

The same tapping noise brought Michelle's attention away from the battle. She once again stared down at the case sitting next to her, and found the egg to be rocking a little bit more than it had been before. It was, in fact, very noticeable. Twisting her mouth, Michelle raised her emerald eyes to Brandon and prodded, "hey, check out the egg."

Brandon reluctantly tore his eyes away from the battle field in order to examine the glass case. When he saw the egg moving back and forth, his eyebrows began to crawl up his forehead.

"This bench must be uneven," Michelle murmured, suddenly sounding not so sure of her own theory.

"I…don't think that's very likely," Brandon breathed.

Back on the battle field, Aiden was grinning deviously to himself. He was beginning to get a feel for Sabrina's battle style, and was now formulating different strategies that he could use in order to beat the psychic at her own game.

"Absol, let's try night slash again!" Aiden shouted.

Alakazam was looking around the surrounding circle of Absol clones, trying to figure out which one was the _real _Absol, and not just an illusion.

"Focus, Alakazam," Sabrina warned. "You can tell the difference."

In the middle of all the commotion, the rocking egg began to flash white, causing Michelle and Brandon to both gasp and stare down at the glass case in pure shock. It couldn't be…

At the same time, Alakazam shifted his eyes around the circle. Once he finally figured out which Absol was the physical one, however, the dark type had leapt up with glowing crimson claws that were soon slashed across Alakazam's face. The psychic type cried out in pain, falling onto his back while Absol pounced off the psi Pokémon's body. Settling down on his paws behind Alakazam, Absol stared down at the psychic type with narrowed red eyes, waiting for his trainer's next command. As Aiden was about to make his order, a shrill cry from Michelle caught his attention.

"Aiden!"

The raven haired boy scowled and looked over his shoulder, giving his twin sister an unhappy glare. "Michelle, I'm busy!"

"But, Aiden-"

"Just be quiet until _after _the battle!"

"Aiden, your egg is hatching!"

* * *

**Cliffhangerrrrr.**

**Yep, so the egg is hatching. That's something that's never happened in the anime that I thought would be interesting; having an egg hatch in the middle of a battle. Pokemon evolve in battle, so why not do something else dramatic like this? I think it'd be fun. So, I put it in my story. Woop, creative liscence :P**

**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Next one coming next week ;)**


	21. Surprises and New Arrivals!

**Alright, guys, new chapter! And I hate to say it, but this might be the last on time update for a little while. I'm SUPPOSED to go back to college next week, but I'm trying to transfer schools. If it doesn't work, my parents are going to try to send me back there. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure I DON'T get sent back, but I literally have no idea where my life is headed with next week. So, wait and see. But for now, enjoy this update, since it's on time and ready to go!**

**Last time: Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon reached the Saffron Gym, and discovered it's also the home to the psychic institute. They are stopped by a teenage boy named Jared, however, who claims the building isn't the gym. His plan is foiled by his older brother, Franklin, however, who explains that they are Sabrina's sons, and that it is in fact the Saffron Gym. Angered, Jared challenges Aiden to battle. After Aiden wins, Sabrina arrives and discovers her youngest son's indescretion, punishing him by forcing him to clean up the battle field. After chatting with the gym leader, Sabrina begins her battle with Aiden. But the battle doesn't go completely as planned: right in the middle of the match, Aiden's egg starts to hatch! (hey...that rhymes!)**

* * *

**Chapter 21: Surprises and New Arrivals!  
**

"Aiden, your egg is hatching!"

The young trainer stopped. Just completely stopped. His body grew rigid, his brain no longer processing anything. Absol sensed his trainer's distress and stopped in his tracks, standing up straight on his four legs and staring over at Aiden.

"Ala?" Alakazam asked, lowering his own arms. Even Sabrina had to admit that she was a little confused as to what was going on.

Finally, something in Aiden seemed to have snapped. He whipped around and ran right off the battle field, grabbing his egg case and pressing his nose against the glass in order to examine the colorful oval held inside. It was indeed flashing white, which meant that it was on its way to hatching.

"Sabrina!" Aiden gasped, turning back around so she could see the case in his hands. "Do you think maybe we could postpone the battle? Please?"

"Of course," Sabrina giggled softly.

"Ah, what do we do?!" Aiden panicked, holding the case closer to his body. "Do we take it out of the case? Get some towels? Where are the towels?!"

"Would you relax?!" Michelle stood up and yanked on her brother's ear, causing him to yelp in pain. "You're worse than a _real _dad!"

"Come, we'll take the egg to the Saffron Pokémon Center," Sabrina had walked the length of the battle field in order to join the two rambunctious siblings. "Nurse Joy will be able to help us out there."

**XXX**

"Nurse Joy! Help us! Quick!"

The pink haired nurse, who was standing behind the desk, whipped around with wide eyes at the sound of Aiden's cries. When she saw the boy holding an egg case, which contained a flashing oval, she gasped and ran out from behind the desk.

"Oh my, that egg is about to hatch!" Nurse Joy exclaimed.

"Uh huh," Aiden nodded. "Can you help, Nurse Joy?"

"Of course I can," Nurse Joy smiled at Aiden, taking the case out of his hands. "Just follow me into the back! Chansey, come along now. We've got work to do!"

"Chan-sey!" The happy pink Pokémon nodded, following after the human nurse.

She carried the case into the back of the Pokémon Center, with Aiden and his travelling companions trailing behind. Reaching the examination room, Nurse Joy placed the case down on the silver table before opening the top and removing the flashing oval from inside, instead resting it on a soft, white cushion. The flashing was only becoming more and more regular, causing Aiden to grow nervous. He was excited, too, especially to see what kind of Pokémon he'd have once the egg actually hatched. Bu the anxiety, at the moment, was overwhelming.

"Chanse!" Chansey chimed, handing a stethoscope over to the Pokémon nurse.

"Thank you, Chansey," Nurse Joy smiled and took the doctor's tool from her partner Pokémon. She stuck the buds into her ears and held the silver circle against the egg's surface, listening intently to the inside of the rapidly flashing oval. As Nurse Joy opened her mouth to say something, the egg's glow became a solid white, no longer flashing. She gasped and put the stethoscope down, her eyes widening and face paling a shade. "That was…fast…"

"That doesn't sound good," Brandon muttered, causing Aiden's heart to race even faster.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked, her own voice laced with nervousness.

"Uncle Brock tells me about this kind of stuff, since he _is _a Pokémon doctor who deals with hatching eggs all the time," Brandon bit his lip. "Sometimes, an egg will begin hatching too quickly, or too soon. And trust me, you know when that's happening."

"So you think Aiden's egg wasn't supposed to hatch yet?" Michelle's shoulders fell.

"It seems that way to me," Brandon nodded. "But we can't be positive until it actually happens."

Finally, the egg's oval shape changed into a bipedal form, with a tail. The glow soon faded away, revealing a blue, dog like Pokémon who was very well known to the three young trainers standing before it.

"Riolu…" Michelle breathed.

"No way…" Aiden's eyes were wide; as big as saucers. He couldn't believe he had a Riolu! It was an amazing feeling. Aiden had always thought of Riolu as such a cool Pokémon…and now it was all his! "Hey there!" Aiden greeted softly, kneeling down in front of the newly hatched creature. "My name is Aiden. I'm your trainer, Riolu!"

Unfortunately, the fighting type didn't seem to be listening. Its eyes were sealed shut, and a severe blush was painted across the baby Pokémon's nose. Leaning in closer, Aiden was also able to see that Riolu's body was trembling.

"Hey, Riolu…" Aiden gently touched the Pokémon's paw. As soon as they made contact, however, Riolu fell backwards, fortunately keeping all of his body on the white cushion below. "Riolu!"

"It's exactly what I was afraid of when I saw that rapid flashing," Nurse Joy shook her head and began to examine Riolu, pressing her hand against the baby's forehead. "The egg hatched too soon. Riolu is very weak…and he's running a fever on top of it."

"What do we do?" Aiden asked, his voice wavering.

"I'm going to put Riolu in a special incubator to try and settle its body temperature," Nurse Joy motioned for Chansey to get a stretcher for the ill Pokémon. "It might also have some respiratory issues, so that will help as well. I'll give Riolu a full examination once I get it into the incubator."

"Do you think it'll be okay?" Aiden practically whimpered as Chansey reappeared with the stretcher.

"I can't say anything for sure until I give Riolu a complete analysis," Nurse Joy frowned. "For now, you three can just wait in the lobby. I'll come out after I finish checking out Riolu."

Aiden nodded slowly and mechanically, much like a robot. Although he felt numb, Aiden managed to follow his sister and best friend out of the Center's emergency room and back into the lobby, where Sabrina was still standing in the middle of the room. Aiden, despite his downtrodden state, was admittedly surprised to see Sabrina still there. She was a caring woman, despite her lack of visible emotion.

"Well?" Sabrina prompted. "What kind of Pokémon do you have, Aiden?"

"A Riolu," Aiden replied with a frown.

"Is something wrong?" Sabrina's own lips bent down as well.

"It turns out the egg hatched too early," Aiden scuffed his sneaker at the shiny linoleum floor of the lobby. "So Riolu is sick."

"How badly?"

"We don't know," Aiden sulked. "Not until Nurse Joy gives it a full examination. She's going to do that now."

"So we'll wait," Sabrina softly informed the trainer, causing him to glance up with confused brown eyes.

"Huh?"

"For the battle, I mean," Sabrina smiled gently at the boy. "We can hold off until you know that Riolu's healed. I want to battle with a fully focused Aiden, and you certainly can't do that when you have an ill Pokémon."

"Right," Aiden muttered, his eyes going downcast once again. "Excuse me…"

He skirted past Sabrina, much to Michelle and Brandon's surprise. The raven haired boy was trudging over to the video phones, sitting down in front of one and picking up the phone in order to dial a number.

"Aiden is…making a phone call?" Brandon questioned.

"To who?" Michelle furrowed her brow.

Smirking, Sabrina let out a small giggle and peered over her shoulder at the boy, murmuring, "I think I know who he's going to."

Aiden waited a few moments, and was relieved when the screen in front of him finally came to life with the image of his mother. She was beaming, obviously thrilled that her son had actually taken the time to call her. That look of joy was replaced with one of concern, however, when she realized that the boy seemed downright miserable.

"Aiden, sweetie, what's wrong?" Misty pressed.

"My egg hatched," Aiden begrudgingly answered.

"Well, that's great!" Misty smiled again until she let those words sink in. "Did something happen to the Pokémon?"

"It hatched into a Riolu, Mom, but it's sick," Aiden fretted. "The egg hatched too soon. And now I'm…I'm worried."

Sighing, Misty gave the boy a sympathetic smile, which only bewildered him. "There's no need to be worried, sweetheart. I'm sure that Riolu will be just fine. You have to have faith in it."

"How?" Aiden seemed genuinely curious.

"I know that it's scary, and that you're really worried about Riolu," Misty explained. "But just because it hatched early, doesn't mean there's no hope for Riolu. No one knows this better than me and your Dad."

"But how do you know?" Aiden sighed.

"Because I didn't have a single one of you when I was supposed to," Misty shook her head. "You and Michelle, and then Elizabeth. You were all born too early. And you three are all okay, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah…I guess so…" Aiden trailed off. He actually hadn't known that about him and his sisters.

"And you weren't the healthiest babies in the world, either," Misty continued. "Elizabeth was better off than you and Michelle, but even she had her times of weakness. I worried about all three of you more than anything else I ever had in my life. But over time, I learned that I just had to take care of you all and believe that you'd be fine. And you all are!"

"Thanks, Mom," Aiden finally smiled at his mother. "That helped, actually."

"I'm glad I could, don't stress so much," Misty winked at her son. "I'll believe in Riolu, too!"

"That'd be great," Aiden's eyes shimmered.

"Now, where are you, dear?"

"Saffron City," Aiden replied. "I was right in the middle of my gym battle when the egg started to hatch."

"Ah, so you've met up with Sabrina, then," Misty's own eyes were now twinkling with intrigue. "What did she think of you? Is she surprised by how much you've grown up?"

"Uh…I don't know…" Aiden was blushing heavily now. "Why don't you ask her?"

"What do you mean?" Misty blinked.

"Hello there, Misty," Sabrina had suddenly appeared behind Aiden, alarming the boy. "How are you doing today?"

"Sabrina, hi!" Misty giggled. "I'm just fine! And you?"

"Very well, thank you," Sabrina smiled. "Aiden has really grown since I last saw him! And he's just like Ash; amazingly so."

"He hasn't given you any trouble, has he?" Misty sounded genuinely concerned about such an issue.

"Mom!" Aiden's blush intensified.

"No, he's been wonderful," Sabrina refuted with a small smile. "It's _my _son who's been giving me trouble. You needn't worry about Aiden."

"Which son of yours is misbehaving?" Misty giggled. "Jared?"

"How did you know?" Sabrina smirked, her tone sarcastic.

"He'll come around eventually," Misty reassured the psychic trainer. "I'm sure of it."

"I certainly hope so," Sabrina sighed. "And how is little Elizabeth? Still outsmarting her father?"

"Of course!" Misty laughed. "Elizabeth is a little genius. I swear she gets smarter every day! So, when are you and Aiden going to finish up your battle?"

"I told him we would resume as soon as we got Riolu's diagnosis," Sabrina explained. "That way he can have the proper focus."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Misty nodded. "By the way, is my daughter there as well?"

"Yeah, I'm right here!" Michelle jumped forward, smiling at her mother. Pichu, who was perched on her trainer's shoulder, twitched her big ears in her own greeting.

"Hi, sweetie!" Misty's whole face lit up. "You did so great in your last Contest! Congratulations on your second ribbon!"

"Thanks!" Michelle giggled.

"May called me right after and told me all about how you guys hung out with her during the Contest," Misty continued. "That must have been great! She was very impressed by you, Michelle. I had to get her to stop gushing because I thought we'd be on the phone for _hours!_"

"That's amazing!" Michelle was beaming. May was one of her idols, along with Dawn, and she had aspired to be just like them ever since she was a little girl.

"I suppose I should let you all go, for when Nurse Joy comes out to speak to Aiden," Misty concluded. "But good luck once you resume your battle with Sabrina, Aiden! She's a tough one, as I'm sure you've already figured out."

"Yeah, definitely," Aiden's smile actually managed to strengthen.

"And don't go easy on him just because he's my son, Sabrina," Misty winked playfully. "Make him work for that badge!"

"I wouldn't battle any other way," Sabrina nodded.

"Great," Misty smiled. "Say hello to Brandon for me, sweethearts! I love you both!"

"Love you too," Aiden and Michelle replied at the same time before Misty's image disappeared from the video screen.

"Aiden!"

The black haired boy turned around at the calling of his name. He found Nurse Joy to be walking over to the group, the expression on her face conveying neither relief nor concern.

"Is my Riolu alright?" Aiden frowned.

"He's going to be just fine," Nurse Joy smiled and nodded, much to Aiden's joy. "But, for now, he's very weak. His respiratory system is weak, but not failing, like I was afraid it might have been. As for the fever, I managed to give him some medicine that will bring that right down. All he needs to do is stay in that incubator for a few more hours, and he'll be just fine!"

"Thanks so much, Nurse Joy!" Aiden's eyes were gleaming.

"Don't mention it!" Nurse Joy smiled. "It's my job!"

Once the pink haired nurse had retreated back behind the desk, Sabrina turned towards Aiden and asked, "well, Aiden, are you ready to finish our battle?"

"Yeah!" Aiden nodded. "Now that I know Riolu will be okay, I can win my third gym badge!"

"We'll just see about that," Sabrina smirked.

Before the group could turn towards the front door of the Center, however, someone else was walking through that same glass portal, and as soon as they caught sight of Sabrina, an obvious spark of interest appeared in his eyes. That was the only way you could tell, however. Otherwise, the boy's facial expression hadn't changed one single bit. Why, not even a twitch of the mouth to hint at a growing smile. It was very much like Sabrina, in fact.

He made his way over to the green haired gym leader, with her and the rest of the young trainers watching. Michelle had furrowed her brow, sensing something familiar about this new arrival. It was almost like they had met before. Maybe not even introduced to one another, or even spoken a single word. But it was as though she had seen him before. Years ago, in fact. She wished she could figure out just why this guy looked so familiar to her.

"You're Sabrina, aren't you?" He asked, stopping a few feet in front of the psychic type expert.

"Indeed I am," Sabrina gave a single nod.

"Then I'm here to challenge you to a gym battle," the boy continued just as calmly, not a flicker of emotion in his staid voice.

"And you are?" Sabrina inquired.

"Jake."

Michelle's eyes widened only slightly. Aiden and Brandon just continued to look confused, although a hint of annoyance was playing behind Aiden's chocolate brown eyes.

"I see," Sabrina murmured before continuing, "well, I must apologize to you, Jake, but there's another challenger ahead of you. You'll have to wait until his battle is over."

Jake scowled and set his steely gray eyes on Brandon, who chuckled nervously and took a cautious step back.

"Not me, sorry," Brandon apologized quickly.

This next caused Jake to set his sights on Michelle, who blinked in confusion. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Jake closed his eyes and drawled, "You? Taking on a gym leader like Sabrina? I don't think so."

Michelle growled and was about to fight back with the boy, but Aiden was quick to jump in her place, much to the girl's disdain.

"Hey, she's not Sabrina's challenger, _I _am!" Aiden shouted. "And no one makes fun of my _sister _except for me!"

"Who said I was making fun of her?" Jake sounded completely uninterested in the whole argument. He lowered his head slightly, strands of dark purple hair falling into his uncaring eyes.

"You called her weak, without using the word," Aiden explained darkly. "That's making fun of her in my book!"

"And for your information, _pretty boy, _I'm not weak!" Michelle snapped. "I'm a coordinator, and I'm plenty good at my own Contests! You don't know anything about Contests anyway!"

"And I don't have to," Jake huffed. "They're stupid."

Michelle nearly lunged at the boy, and she probably would have had success had Aiden not grabbed her and held her struggling being back. From Aiden's arms, Michelle growled and continued to glare at Jake, who didn't seem affected by such a look.

"Alright, let's all settle down," Sabrina's calm voice infiltrated the air. "There's no need for such hostility. We can all head back to the gym and I'll finish my battle with Aiden. Then you'll be next, Jake."

"Fine," Jake looked over his shoulder in disinterest. "I _guess _I can stay and watch the battle. I'll see just how good this kid _thinks _he is."

Aiden clenched his teeth together and thanked Arceus that he was holding onto his sister at the moment. If he hadn't been holding _her _back…well then, he might have just lunged at the purple haired trainer _himself._

**XXX**

"The battle between Sabrina and Aiden will now resume!"

The group had made their way back to the gym, with Tyron once again officiating. Sabrina and Aiden had retaken their positions, standing across from one another on the battle field. On the bench behind Aiden, Brandon and Michelle were once again sitting down and preparing to watch. There was now a third person sitting alongside them, however. The seemingly perpetually angry Jake, who was seated on the far left side of the bench, leaving a good amount of space between him and the two other trainers.

"What is this kid's deal?" Michelle muttered to Brandon.

"Chu," Pichu grumbled in agreement.

"He's definitely not a happy guy, that's for sure," Brandon was talking in a low voice so Jake wouldn't hear him. "But some people just aren't."

"Well, there's a difference between being grumpy and being a jerk," Michelle rested her head in her hands, her tone growing dark. "And he's _definitely _a jerk."

Back on the battle field, Aiden and Sabrina had re-released the same Pokémon they'd been using in the battle before it got interrupted by the hatching of Riolu's egg. Absol was standing proudly in front of his raven haired trainer, staring down the unbothered Alakazam that belonged to Sabrina. Both Pokémon were obviously ready to go, so Tyron decided not to make them wait any longer.

"Battle, continue!" He threw his arms up.

Aiden still felt like he was in control from when the battle had ended, so he didn't plan on letting that power slip away. "Absol, night slash!"

The dark type charged forward and took a striding leap, throwing forward his claws, which were once again glowing a bright crimson. He got just the tips of his claws on Alakazam's face before the psychic type disappeared, leading Absol to land back on his paws without having gotten a full hit.

"It used teleport without Sabrina even asking it to," Michelle marveled.

"She must be using her psychic abilities again," Brandon nodded.

Alakazam reappeared behind Absol, and this time, the white furred Pokémon was more in tune to Alakzam's whereabouts. The previous battle experience with the same Pokémon had certainly helped.

"Gotcha," Aiden smirked. "Absol, try night slash again!"

It didn't take long for Absol to take a sharp turn on his claws and run towards Alakazam with the intention of using his signature dark move. Sabrina, however, had a different idea on how to avoid the attack, and this time, it wasn't going to be through teleportation.

"Alakazam, disable," Sabrina ordered calmly.

Alakazam crossed his spoons in the air, the utensils glowing a bright red. Suddenly, just when Absol went to jump through the air, a red shock hit him in the middle of his body, causing the dark type to howl in pain and land shakily on his paws. That same red shock soon spread throughout Absol's body, casting the disaster Pokémon in a bright red light that left him unable to move.

"Absol, no!" Aiden gasped. From behind him, Brandon and Michelle looked very nervous, while a seemingly bored Jake just shook his head.

The raven haired boy was _extremely _frustrated. He wanted to use night slash, since it _was _a dark type move and would give Alakazam a whole lot of damage. But Sabrina was so good at dodging it…and he just kept on ordering it and ordering it. Sabrina wasn't dumb; anything but. She was ten times smarter than almost anyone Aiden had ever met. He knew he'd have to come up with a new strategy if he really wanted to beat Sabrina.

_But without night slash…what can I do?_

Aiden ground his teeth together. Sabrina's psychic was making this battle a very difficult one. A normal gym battle was hard enough, but throw in Sabrina's psychic abilities and it was an almost impossible task. There just had to be _some _way to take advantage!

"Psybeam," Sabrina's cool voice once again reached Aiden's ears.

He looked up from his feet in shock as Alakazam fired off two rainbow colored beams at his Absol. Aiden's throat tightened, but he managed to make a call of, "Absol, double team!"

The Absol clones appeared, and Alakzam's psybeam instantly took out one of the copies. The psi Pokémon was now adapt to Absol's double team as well, however, and had a plan on how to combat it. He began to spin around, shooting away each clone with his psybeam until; at long last, he hit the real Absol, sending the dark type flying backwards until his body hit the ground.

Aiden growled and clenched his hands into fists. From her own battler's box, Sabrina was looking a bit smug. She was obviously pleased with how the battle was going. But Aiden wasn't. Nowhere _near _pleased.

_Come on, Aiden, think! There's gotta' be a way for you to get the upper hand on Sabrina! But how…night slash isn't working…I've got it!_

"Absol, use future sight!" Aiden called.

The dark type leaned down on his legs, eyes starting to sparkle and glow blue. After a short moment, that bright hue disappeared, returning Absol's eyes to their normal red state.

"In the meantime…" Aiden smiled, "let's try quick attack!"

Absol made a running start towards Alakazam, moving so fast that streaks of white appeared behind the quickly zooming dark type.

"Alakazam, teleport," Sabrina narrowed her eyes.

Before he could go through with the attack, however, Alakazam was knocked down by Absol, who had run right into the psychic type. Alakazam fell right to the ground, and with a low growl, Absol jumped off of him and began to trot around the battle field, wanting to be out of Alakazam's way. Already, the psi Pokémon was struggling to get up, and before he could fully reach his feet, a strike of lightning appeared out of nowhere, coming down hard on Alakazam and causing the psychic type to cry out in pain.

"No…" Sabrina murmured.

"Great job, Absol!" Aiden cheered. "Quick, while Alakazam is still down, use night slash!"

Aiden watched proudly as Absol, who had managed to cut a sharp turn near Alakazam once he was sure that future sight was going to strike, jumped right at the psychic type with glowing claws, slashing them right across the psi Pokémon's face. Alakazam cried out in pain, and while he was still unable to move under Absol's weight, the dark type took advantage and used night slash again, this time across the psychic type's body.

Alakazam was still down, writing in pain, and with his work accomplished, Absol finally took his weight off of the struggling psychic type. He stood now just a few feet away, watching the psi Pokémon with distrustful eyes. From behind Aiden, Brandon and Michelle sat with baited breath, while Jake, who still looked pretty irritated, was also beginning to reflect a quiet sense of intrigue.

"Alakazam, get up," Sabrina tried.

The psychic type pressed his hands against the ground, trying to push his weight up. He was obviously struggling to do this, however, and after a valiant effort, he fell back down, eyes closed tight while letting out weak, defeated moans.

"Alakazam is unable to battle," Tyron threw his arm out towards Aiden. "Which means the winner of this battle is Aiden Ketchum from Cerulean City!"

"We did it!" Aiden cheered, running over to Absol in order to lunge down at the dark type and wrap his arms around the disaster Pokémon's neck. Absol, who was cool and collected as always, simply huffed and held his head up in pride.

After returning Alakazam to his poke ball, Sabrina walked over to Aiden and offered a hand to the still beaming boy. Standing up, Aiden chuckled and shook hands with Sabrina, staring up at the psychic leader with shimmering brown eyes.

"You are truly an amazing boy, Aiden," Sabrina complimented. "Very much like your father."

"Thanks, Sabrina!" Aiden's smile only widened. From behind him, Jake raised an eyebrow. The fire of interest had _definitely _been sparked in the boy.

Tyron had now walked over to the gym leader and her young challenger, a cherry wood box held in his hands. Curious, Aiden peered into the chest and found a red velvet covering, with a small golden circle lying in the center.

"Aiden," Sabrina plucked the circle out of its case and instead held it out to him in the palm of her hand, "this is the Marsh badge. Congratulations; you've earned it."

Awing, Aiden took the badge from Sabrina and studied it quietly for a few seconds before jumping up and down and holding the golden circle in the air.

"Yes! I did it! The Marsh badge! I finally got my third badge!"

"Pi!" Pichu clapped from Michelle's shoulder.

"He sure is excited," Brandon chuckled as he crossed his arms.

"It's a little pathetic, if you ask me."

His jubilant expression instantly transforming into a scowl, Aiden spun around and glared at the purple haired visitor.

"What'd you say?" Aiden's eyebrow twitched.

"What kind of kid gets all excited about his _third _badge?" Jake narrowed his eyes. "That's about as novice as you can get."

"Hey, I would have had four badges if my Mom had battled me!" Aiden barked.

"Your Mom?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, my _Mom._ She's a gym leader. Don't you know that?"

"I'm not from this region, so I don't care who your gym leaders are," Jake scoffed, the short flicker of attentiveness in his gray eyes melting away. "And you being a lousy trainer has nothing to do with your Mommy, I can tell you that much."

"Oh yeah?" Aiden barked, turning around fully so he could face the other boy. "Well, if you think you're so tough, how about you and I have a battle?"

"With pleasure," Jake replied coolly. "But first I have to get my Pokémon from the Center." And, without another word, he walked right out of the gym's battle area.

"What is _with _that guy?" Aiden grumbled.

Michelle stared after the boy, watching him leave the gym with a certain arrogance about himself. There was still something very odd about him, and Michelle was slowly getting to the bottom of it. But first, she had to approach him. And she didn't want her quick tempered brother around for when she did it.

"I'll meet you guys over at the Pokémon Center," Michelle informed the boys slowly before getting to her feet and quietly following Jake.

Aiden and Brandon just watched Michelle leave, neither one sure of what was going on. Aiden, however, did feel a sense of concern, since that _was _his twin sister. He loved her just like Elizabeth, and even like Elizabeth, he was protective of Michelle. His Dad had always taught him to look out for his sisters, after all.

"I think I should go, too," Aiden murmured.

"Aiden, that might not be such a good idea," Brandon piped up.

"But, Michelle-"

"She'll be fine," Sabrina added, causing Aiden to turn around and give her a wide eyed stare. "Trust me. You're just like your father, but _she's _just like your mother. Michelle's got that Misty spark. I say we head out to the Center in just a few minutes. Give Michelle some time alone with Jake. She seems to know something about him, if I don't know any better."

"And I'm sure you do," Brandon smirked. "You're psychic!"

**XXX**

Over at the Center, Jake was standing at the front desk, waiting to get his poke balls back from Nurse Joy. Michelle, who was still outside of the building, just stared at the boy's back and waited with a pounding heart. While she was good at it once she got into the swing of things, Michelle didn't exactly _love _confrontation. Sure, if she was provoked, Michelle was going to stand up for herself. But she wasn't her mother. Michelle wasn't going to just start something solely because she wanted to.

Taking a deep breath, Michelle stepped in front of the doors so the sliding glass would open and she could enter the building. Even from the back, Jake was rather intimidating, wearing that dark blue leather jacket and the black pants. So, she just stopped in the middle of the lobby and waited.

It didn't take long for Nurse Joy to hand a tray with four poke balls on it over to Jake. He seemed to thank her-at least he was _somewhat _polite-before taking his poke balls and turning around. As soon as he did, his silver eyes locked on Michelle, and he seemed fairly surprised to see her.

"What are _you _doing here?"

Okay, maybe not _surprised._

"I followed you," Michelle replied dumbly. After those words came out of her mouth, she mentally rolled her eyes. _Who says that? Now I sound like the ultimate creeper._

"And what encouraged you to do that?"

"Because, and this is gonna' sound strange, but…we've met before," Michelle started slowly.

"I don't think so," Jake quickly dismissed such an idea.

"No, we have," Michelle's voice became stronger. "A long time ago, when we were still little kids. I remember seeing you, because I'd never seen a kid like you before. And when you said you were from a different region…it all adds up."

"Fascinating," Jake drawled before shrinking his poke balls down and clipping them back onto his belt before beginning to walk away, "and just who do you think I am?"

"You're Paul's son."

* * *

**Teehee.**

**Yes, another cliffhanger. You'll all have to wait to see Jake's reaction! HOPEFULLY it'll be next week but...no promises.**

**And Aiden's egg was, in fact, a Riolu! Some of you guessed it, so props to you guys. I love Riolu, and always wished Ash had one. Now it's Aiden's turn!**

**So, leave a review and tell me what you thought. You can even tell me what you think might happen between Jake and Michelle next chapter! It's going to be good.**


	22. Ignite the Rival

**On time update again! I'm feeling pretty proud of myself, guys. Now that break is over, I hope I don't mess it up. I probably will, though I've been hard at work on the next chapter. But let's focus on this one first! I'm very proud of this one, I worked super hard on it, it's very dramatic, and there's A LOT of information in here that will be useful for the rest of the story! So, sit back and get ready for everything to unfold!**

**Last time: The group rushes Aiden's egg to the Pokemon Center, where it proceedes to hatch into Riolu! Unfortunately, the egg hatched too early, leaving Riolu to be very weak. While waiting for him to heal, however, the group is confronted by an arrogant young trainer who wants to battle Sabrina. She informs him that she is already busy with Aiden, which displeases the other trainer. Once he hears that Riolu will recover, Aiden feels comfortable with leaving the Center and finishing his battle with Sabrina. Once Aiden wins, he is insulted by the visiting trainer, who came to watch the battle. While Aiden is furious, Michelle becomes curious and follows after the boy, thinking she knows something about him. After confronting Jake in the Center, Michelle presents what she believes is the trainer's true identity: he's Paul's son.**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Ignite the Rival**

Jake stopped in his tracks. His back was still to Michelle, but she could tell that he had gone completely rigid.

"What?" He seethed.

"Our Dads were rivals when they were younger," Michelle replied simply. She sounded so much more confident in herself now. So _that's _why she had felt so strongly about this little…jerk. It would have been utterly humiliating if she'd been wrong, but she wasn't, luckily.

Finally, Jake turned back around and gave Michelle a strange look. For some reason, he didn't seem as angry as he had before. He also didn't appear that he was just going to open up, however.

"You're _his _daughter?" Jake raised an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised you didn't realize that one before," Michelle deadpanned.

"You never told me your last name," Jake suddenly returned to his hostile look. "How am I supposed to know you're some loser's daughter?"

_This _set Michelle off. Now she wasn't afraid of some confrontation.

"My Dad is _not _a loser!" Michelle barked. "Obviously he's not! He's the Pokémon Master! What did your dad ever do, huh?"

"He's a member of the Elite Four, for your information!" Jake snapped back.

"That's still not as good as being Pokémon Master," Michelle huffed.

It was fortunately, at that moment, that Aiden, Brandon, and Sabrina entered the Pokémon Center. They saw Michelle and Jake glaring at one another, and knew something was up. Taking another step forward, Aiden cautiously eyed his sister and asked, "Michelle? What's going on?"

Before she could answer, Jake spun around and set a glare on Aiden. "So…you're the Pokémon Master's son."

"Uh…yeah?"

Narrowing his eyes, Jake drew his shoulders back and continued strongly, "then I guess I have _no choice _but to battle you. I'll prove that my father is better than yours, despite his lousy title. I don't care if he's the Master. My Dad is a better Pokémon trainer than yours could ever hope to be."

"Oh yeah?" Aiden scoffed. "And just who do you think your father is, huh?"

"Paul, the highest member of the Sinnoh Elite Four," Jake bit.

This definitely threw Aiden off guard. He had heard a lot about his father's old rival. Aiden knew their relationship was strained, at best. Ash had always told his son that Paul was a cold trainer, who only cared about his Pokémon's power and not his friendship with them. Of course, Aiden had never actually seen Paul, so he couldn't have pinpointed the relation between him and Jake. But evidently, Michelle _had _seen him before.

"Michelle, how did you figure this out before I did?" Aiden breathed.

"Because I've seen Jake before," Michelle replied. "When I was a little girl. I was out with Dad once, and we ran into Paul. Dad tried to hide me from him, though. But I managed to see him. And I remember a little boy being with him. A little boy who looked very timid and afraid. I never forgot that day. And when I first saw Jake, I started to think back to that day. The more I thought about it…that's when I realized he just _had _to be that boy."

"That explains a lot, at least," Aiden turned his attention back onto Jake. "It explains why you're such a jerk. It's because your _dad _is a complete jerk, too. Like father, like son!"

"And I see that you're just as _pathetic _as your own dad," Jake spat.

Sabrina and Brandon had nothing to say on the matter. It was all a little much. Brandon, too, had heard stories of Paul; all from his Uncle Brock. Those stories were all similar to the ones that Aiden knew so well. Paul was cold, and he and Ash were extremely tense rivals. Now, Brandon couldn't imagine the sure fired rivalry between Aiden and Jake being any different.

"That's it," Aiden grabbed a poke ball and held it in his clenched hand. "We're going outside to have a Pokémon battle, and I'll show you who the pathetic one here is!"

"Oh, Aiden!"

The raven haired trainer relaxed as Nurse Joy walked over to him, a sweet smile on her face. She was obviously unaware of the building tension between him and Jake, since she looked as cheerful as could be.

"Hi, Nurse Joy," Aiden managed to smile back. "What's up?"

"I just came to tell you that Riolu is doing much better," Nurse Joy's grin widened. "I can't believe how much better, in fact! He's been playing with some of the other Pokémon, ever since I took him out of the incubator."

"Can I go see him now?" Aiden's eyes were sparkling. His smile had become more genuine.

"Of course!" Nurse Joy giggled. "Just follow me to the back."

Before trailing after the nurse, Aiden sent another glare Jake's way before murmuring, "the battle is still on."

"I expect you outside in no more than fifteen minutes," Jake replied simply. "If I don't see your sorry face, then I'm leaving. I don't have forever to battle a pathetic loser."

Aiden wanted to punch Jake, he really did. But seeing Riolu was more important in the young trainer's mind than jamming a fist into his newest rival's face, so Aiden just swallowed that harsh thought and continued after Nurse Joy. Brandon and Michelle went too, at the urging of Sabrina. She chose to wait outside with Jake; wanting to watch the battle between the two young boys.

In the back of the Center, where the sick and injured Pokémon were kept to heal, Nurse Joy led the three young trainers to where Riolu had been resting. Sitting on a long examination table was Riolu, holding a red rubber ball between his paws and gently bouncing it on the table every now and then.

"Riolu, look!" Nurse Joy coaxed the little fighting type, who looked up curiously. "Your trainer is back! Remember, Aiden? I told you about him!"

"Ri?" Riolu set his big red eyes on Aiden. Laughing, Aiden leaned down so he and Riolu were face to face.

"Hey there, Riolu!" Aiden greeted. "I'm glad to see you doing so much better!"

"Ro…" Riolu held the ball in front of his face.

"Aw, I think he's a little shy!" Michelle giggled.

"Aiden, why don't you see what the pokedex says about Riolu?" Brandon suggested.

"That's a great idea," Aiden nodded, taking out the red device and holding it up in front of the bashful baby Pokémon.

_Riolu, the emanation Pokémon. Riolu are playful and loyal companions, who are sensitive to a special type of energy known as aura. They have superhuman strength, stamina, and endurance._

"Wow, so you're gonna' be a really strong Pokémon one day, huh?" Aiden smiled. His gentle voice seemed to relax Riolu. The little Pokémon lowered the ball so it was no longer obscuring his face and stared up at Aiden with curious red eyes. "You sure are cute!"

"Ri!" Riolu shrieked, clearly happy that his trainer thought he was so adorable.

"So, you're feeling better, huh?" Aiden asked.

"Ri-o!" Riolu nodded.

"That's great!" Aiden pumped his fist. "Hey, I know it's probably still not a good idea for you to battle right now, but how would you like to come watch a battle? One day, you're gonna' be a great battler, I just know it! If you watch, I think you might be able to learn a few things."

Wordlessly, Riolu nodded and hopped off the table, right into Aiden's arms. Grinning at the fighting type, Aiden patted his head and cheered, "Come on. It's battle time!"

**XXX**

There was a battle field located behind the Pokémon Center, which made the anticipated duel between Aiden and Jake an easy one to access.

When Aiden, Brandon, and Michelle made their way out of the back doors, they were met by the sight of Sabrina standing beside Jake, who had already taken up residence in the far left trainer's box. She seemed to be talking to him, while he was examining two poke balls; one held in each hand.

"Hey, Jake!" Aiden yelled, catching the purple haired boy's attention. "I'm all ready to battle!"

Eyeing Riolu with his steel gray eyes, Jake huffed and inquired, "You're not going to battle with me a pathetic little baby Pokémon, are you?"

"Ri!" Riolu yelped, obviously offended by such a statement.

"No, Riolu is here to observe," Aiden smiled at his newest Pokémon, hoping to keep the young one calm. With that out of the way, Aiden handed Riolu off to Brandon and stared his best friend in the eyes. "Watch Riolu for me?"

"Sure, no prob!" Brandon nodded.

Aiden crossed the field and took up the battler's box opposite of Jake's. Sabrina vacated the field and instead chose to approach Brandon and Michelle, calmly asking the two, "would you like to sit in the shade and observe with me?"

"Sure!" Michelle smiled.

"Wait, they need a referee!" Brandon realized. Handing Riolu off to Michelle, the young breeder asked, "Can you watch Riolu instead?"

"Of course!" Michelle nodded. She smiled down at Riolu, who returned the simple action. "Come on, Riolu. Once you're done watching the battle, you can make friends with Pichu!"

"Chu," Pichu squeaked.

Michelle and Sabrina took up the bench that sat against the back wall of the Pokémon Center. Brandon, meanwhile, was now standing beside the battle field, preparing to referee the match.

"What do you guys say?" Brandon called. "A one on one?"

"Sounds good to me," Aiden nodded.

"Fine," Jake huffed.

Smirking, Aiden pulled a poke ball off his belt and tossed it, yelling, "Squirtle, I choose you!"

The water type materialized before his trainer, whipping his tail back and forth as he let out a happy, "squir!"

"Hmph," Jake made a noise of interest before calling on his Pokémon. "Chimchar, fallback!"

Before the purple haired trainer appeared a small fire monkey, who had its big eyes set on Squirtle in a hard glare that was quite reminiscent of Jake's own eyes.

"Wow, a Kanto starter versus a Sinnoh starter, how cool!" Michelle's eyes sparkled before her voice switched to convey a more confused feeling. "Why would Jake send a fire type in against a water type?"

"He's very confident in himself," Sabrina mused.

"That must be Jake's starter from back in Sinnoh," Aiden scanned the creature with his pokedex.

_Chimchar, the chimp Pokémon. Chimchar are quite playful but can be brave when they need to be. When they're sick, the flame on Chimchar's rear burns weakly._

"My Dad's Infernape used to belong to your dad, back when he was a Chimchar," Aiden commented as he returned his poke dex to its original location. "He released it because he thought it was weak. Let me guess…you treat your Pokémon the same way."

"Not entirely, but thanks for assuming that," Jake bit. "I work with my Pokémon until they're strong. I give them tough love. I've never once released a Pokémon, and that's a fact."

"Char," Chimchar piped up in confidence.

"Chimchar does appear to be very well taken care of," Brandon noted. "The flame on its body is burning bright! And those eyes are just as lively."

"Fine, I'll take your word for it," Aiden scoffed. "But I don't see why you would put a fire type in against a water type."

"I'm trying to prove that you don't need a type advantage to win a battle," Jake placed his hands on his hips. "Isn't that the big philosophy of the _Pokémon Master?_"

Aiden growled and planted his feet into the ground. He was going to beat Jake no matter what. And by using a water type against a fire type, Aiden assumed winning the battle shouldn't be much of a problem.

"Alright," Brandon called, "let the battle begin!"

"I'm not wasting any time," Aiden yelled, "Squirtle, use water gun!"

The tiny blue turtle spit out a stream of water, right in the direction of Chimchar. The fire monkey just sat there, not looking at all concerned. From the bench, Michelle gasped and gripped the edge of the wooden plank, her heart hammering away in her chest.

"What are you doing?" Michelle screamed at the boy, much to everyone else's surprise. "Don't you know that if that water gun hits Chimchar, he's gonna' get destroyed?!"

"Shut up, Michelle!" Aiden's eyes were wide. _Why is my sister trying to talk sense into him?!_

Raising an eyebrow, Jake scoffed and calmly ordered, "Dodge it."

At the last possible second, Chimchar jumped over the water gun; landing skillfully back on his feet once the water attack had died down. Michelle just continued to watch on, her racing heart slowing down as she stared at Jake in shock.

"I know what I'm doing," Jake informed the girl rather simply. Michelle swallowed her reply and leaned back on the bench until she was resting against the side of the building. "Now, Chimchar, fury swipes!"

Chimchar leapt in front of Squirtle and repeatedly slashed the water type across his face with its fingers. Squirtle cried out in pain and tried to back away from Chimchar, but it was no use. The chimp Pokémon managed to stay on the turtle the entire time, continuously swiping the tiny turtle Pokémon.

"Alright, Squirtle, time to get Chimchar off of you by showing off your newest move," Aiden threw his hand out in front of him, "use bite!"

"Bite?" Michelle and Brandon asked at the same time.

While Chimchar was busy scratching Squirtle's face, the turtle managed to open his mouth and sink his teeth into Chimchar's nearby arm. Chimchar shrieked in pain and finally pulled his claws away from Squirtle, landing down on his feet and holding the afflicted spot.

"Wow, so Squirtle learned a new move," Michelle marveled. "All of that training Aiden's been doing has really paid off!"

Jake cast Michelle a sideways glance before turning his attention back onto the battle. "Chimchar, stop focusing on that bite! Hit Squirtle with a flame wheel!"

Chimchar released his arm and allowed his body to become engulfed in flames as he jumped in the air and turned into a somersault, rolling straight towards a stunned Squirtle.

"Don't let that distract you," Aiden called, "bubble!"

Squirtle nodded and spit out a bunch of bubbles, all of which collided with Chimchar and instantly put out the chimp's fire type attack. He whined as he landed on his backside, holding his hand in a mixture of agony and frustration.

"Come on, you're no quitter!" Jake barked. "Get up and use ember!"

Chimchar struggled, but still managed to get back on his feet and fire off small bits of fire in Squirtle's direction. Aiden, of course, wasn't deterred by such a move. He was the one with the water type, after all.

"Squirtle, water gun!"

Squirtle's signature move was enough to not only destroy Chimchar's fire attack, but also send the fire chimp flying backwards until he nearly collided with Jake's legs. Growling, the purple haired trainer looked down at his starter, who was crumpled up on the ground. Both Aiden and Brandon watched Jake with narrowed eyes, waiting for the boy to scream and yell at his Pokémon for being "weak" or "pathetic." But he never did.

"Come on, Chimchar," Jake murmured strongly to the injured Pokémon. "I know you can still battle. Get up. Now."

Pushing his hands against the ground, Chimchar got up to his feet and glared at Squirtle. The flame on his back grew in size, and his body started to glow a bright shade of red; and soon, it became apparent that the glow was actually fire.

"Is that…" Aiden drew back.

"Blaze…" Brandon breathed.

"That's Chimchar's ability," Sabrina leaned forward in interest.

"Ability?" Michelle asked.

"A Pokémon's ability is activated under certain conditions," Sabrina explained to the young coordinator. "In Chimchar's case, blaze is an ability that turns on when Chimchar is very weak and tired. It increases the power of its fire type attacks."

"Whoa," Michelle blinked.

"Blaze, perfect," Jake smirked. "Alright, Chimchar, flame wheel!"

"CHAR!" Chimchar flipped in the air and surrounded himself with fire. The amount of fire that had engulfed the chimp this time was even stronger than before; more powerful and even brighter. Before Squirtle could move out of the way, he was hit by Chimchar's flame wheel, and damaged badly enough where he was now lying on the ground in a similar fashion to his opponent just moments before.

"No, Squirtle!" Aiden cried.

"Blaze increases fire type attacks so much that they become pretty effective even against a water type," Brandon watched Squirtle struggle to get up. "Squirtle is in trouble."

"Squirtle, come on, I know you've still got fight left in you!" Aiden pleaded. "I know that you can get up and beat Chimchar! Please, Squirtle…"

Wincing, Squirtle pulled himself up, and to everyone's shock, his body became surrounded by a blue light. Soon, that glow was showing in the turtle's eyes as well, and Aiden was completely taken off guard.

"Is that another ability?" Michelle looked up at Sabrina.

"Indeed, it is," Sabrina nodded. "Torrent."

"Torrent?"

"It is activated in the same way that blaze is," Sabrina informed, "and it has the same affect, too. But instead, torrent powers up water type attacks."

"So now its ability against ability," Michelle awed.

"Great," Aiden smirked, "torrent! How awesome! Squirtle, aim your water gun right at Chimchar!"

The small turtle fired off his best water attack, and much to Aiden's delight, it was ten times stronger than it normally would be. Jake, however, was not about to let Aiden use Squirtle's newfound ability to his advantage.

"Chimchar, dodge and use ember!"

Screeching, the monkey jumped right over Squirtle's high powered water gun and spat out fire at the turtle. The bits of ember were larger and glowing brighter than they had previously. Sensing the oncoming danger, Squirtle rolled out of the way, causing the embers to collide with the ground and leave behind char marks.

"Bubble!" Aiden yelled.

Squirtle spun around and shot bubbles out at Chimchar. They were larger than the usual bubble attack that Squirtle managed.

"Flame wheel!" Jake combatted.

Chimchar rolled into another somersault and went barreling towards Squirtle. Halfway down, the bubbles hit Chimchar head on and put out his fire. Chimchar cried out in pain, but was still falling through the air. He ended up colliding with Squirtle, knocking the turtle down so that both Pokémon became surrounded by a cloud of smoky dirt.

"Squirtle!" Aiden cried.

"Chimchar!" Jake shouted, much to Michelle's surprise. All her father had ever told her about Paul was that he had never shown any concern for his Pokémon what so ever. Clearly, Jake was different than his father.

When the smoke cleared, it became apparent that the two Pokémon were unconscious. They were only lying inches away from one another, and were equally defeated.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle," Brandon called, "so this battle is a draw!"

Aiden ran over to Squirtle and gathered the injured water type into his arms. Much to the boy's relief, Squirtle was quick to open his eyes and stare up at Aiden with a forlorn look, which Aiden eased with a gentle chuckle.

"Don't be upset, Squirtle, you battled really hard!" Aiden complimented his starter. "I'm proud of you. For now, you just go back into your poke ball and take a long rest."

After returning the turtle to the sanctuary of his ball, Aiden got to his feet and made an attempt to walk over to Jake, in order to compliment the other trainer on a great battle. Much to Aiden's ire, however, he was met with nothing but a quick and cold stare from Jake, and then his back as the purple haired boy turned and walked swiftly back into the Pokémon Center, with Chimchar held firmly in his grasp.

"What is his problem?!" Aiden stormed, turning to face a surprised Brandon. "He won't even speak to me after a battle?! There's something so wrong about that guy!"

"Aiden, calm down, he wasn't doing it to be a jerk," Michelle shot back at her brother.

"Why are you defending him?" Aiden narrowed his eyes.

"I'm not!" Michelle jumped to her feet. "Just be quiet, Aiden. You don't know anything!"

"Oh, and you do?"

"Yes! I'm very sensitive to other people's feelings!"

"That's always your dumb excuse!"

"I could see the look in Jake's eyes as he went inside," Michelle stared at the two doors that Jake had just gone through. "He didn't look angry. He looked upset. Like something was bothering him."

"Yeah maybe because he knew he was on the verge of losing that battle," Aiden scoffed. "We all know I should have won!"

"Why are you acting like he's some kind of monster?" Michelle shook her head. "You barely even know him!"

"Oh, and you do?" Aiden snapped. For this, Michelle had no response. She just stared at her brother with her mouth hanging open. Once he was sure Michelle wasn't going to come back at him, Aiden continued, "you know the history his dad has with ours. They _hated _one another. And Paul sounds like he was the cruelest Pokémon trainer to ever walk the Earth. Why would his son be any different? He's probably just as abusive. And I don't know about you, Shelly, but I'll never trust a person who has any kind of history with hurting Pokémon."

Michelle closed her mouth and looked down bashfully at her feet.

"Do you?" Aiden asked, his voice becoming gentler.

"No," Michelle mumbled. It was the truth. She would never trust anyone who had ever done something so horrible to a Pokémon. And Paul definitely seemed to fall under that category.

"Good, so we both understand," Aiden moved closer to the building, with the intention of going inside to give Squirtle's poke ball to Nurse Joy. Once he was gone, and the doors had closed, Michelle looked back up and found that both Brandon and Sabrina were still staring at her.

"Well, that was something," Brandon was the first to speak.

"I know Aiden has a point," Michelle sighed, "but…I just don't know. Something seems different about Jake. And I hate not giving people a chance."

"Even if his father was as bad as Aiden makes him out to be?" Sabrina sounded rather curious.

"That's my only concern," Michelle shook her head. "I really can't stand people who mistreat Pokémon. But I haven't seen Jake do anything wrong. Not in that battle, anyway. He seems like a tough trainer, but not an abusive one. And even Brandon said that Chimchar looked to be very healthy. But when you have that kind of past…is it going to creep up on you and take over?"

**XXX**

Inside the Pokémon Center, in his own rented room, Jake sat before a video phone, listening to the bothersome ringing and waiting for someone on the other end to answer. He normally wasn't so impatient, but this was a different circumstance. In this instance, Jake was confused, and needed some guidance from the one person he trusted the most.

After what felt like an eternity, the video screen came to life with the image of someone that Jake had grown to be very close with. Someone who the boy could go to with any of his problems or concerns. He had dark purple hair, nearly the same color as Jake's, and a skin tone that was just maybe a shade darker. His eyes were darker too; black instead of gray.

"Hi there, Jake!"

Sighing, the young boy rested his head in his hands and replied meekly, "hi, Uncle Reggie."

The Pokémon breeder raised an eyebrow in confusion. Jake certainly wasn't acting like himself. "Hey, you seem a little down there, bud. You want to tell me what's up?"

"It's not a big deal, I guess," Jake puffed so his purple bangs would fly out of his face. "I got into Saffron City early this morning, and I wanted to challenge Sabrina to a battle, so I could win the Marsh Badge. But she already had a trainer in line."

"Is that what you're so upset about?"

"No!" Jake stormed, his anger quickly rising.

"Alright, no need to get so testy now," Reggie made a lowering motion with his hand. "Just breathe, Jake."

The boy took in a heap of air before releasing it and continuing in a staid voice, "no. It was because of who the trainer was, although I didn't find out exactly who he was until later…from his sister."

"And who was it?"

"Aiden Ketchum," Jake scoffed. "The son of the Pokémon Master."

"Oh, Ash's son!" Reggie's eyes lit up.

"You know the Pokémon Master?" Jake slumped.

"I met him once before, he was a really nice kid," Reggie nodded. "I'm assuming his son must have been the same way."

"Sure, if by nice you mean annoying," Jake rolled his eyes.

"Oh, Jake," Reggie clicked his tongue.

"My Dad hates his dad," Jake informed his uncle, as if he was unaware of this fact.

"I know that," Reggie replied, "and it doesn't make much sense. Ash was a great guy. The only reason your Dad didn't like him is because he was such a different trainer. Those differences are things that your Dad just can't live with. He's not exactly the easiest person in the world to appease."

"Yeah, well I think I know that better than anyone," Jake looked away from the screen as he narrowed his eyes.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Reggie comforted the boy. "Your Dad is very proud of you, no matter what you might think. So, did you and Aiden have a chance to talk?"

"I didn't want to talk to him," Jake made a disgusted face. "Talking is for girls and weaklings. I wanted a battle. And I got one."

"Oh? And what happened?"

"It was…a draw."

"That must have been some battle," Reggie leaned back in his chair and rolled his eyes up in thought. "I just think back to all the ones between Ash and your Dad…they were incredible! There's nothing like a rivalry to really make a battle something special."

"Well, I guess Aiden's my rival now," Jake huffed. "Not like I want some weak little kid to be my rival."

"Jake, you can't close yourself off to people like this," Reggie frowned. "You're so much better than that! Don't you remember all those things I taught you?"

"What, when I was like five?" Jake retorted. "And my Dad abandoned me with you all the time?"

"I know he left a lot, but I also know for a fact you never felt abandoned with me," Reggie smiled softly at Jake. "You may be my nephew, but really, you're like my son. You know that. Your Aunt Maylene and I have treated you that way ever since you were just a baby."

"I thought that was only because you couldn't have a kid of your own and I was always conveniently dumped on you by my Dad," Jake grumbled.

"You're all the son Maylene and I could ever want," Reggie's smile turned into a sad, sympathetic one for the boy. "Don't talk that way about yourself, Jake. You know that you're an amazing trainer, and that you can do anything you set your mind to."

"I guess," Jake shrugged.

"Now, is Sabrina free for a battle?"

"Yeah."

"Good, then you should go and challenge her again," Reggie gave Jake a determined look. "And I know you'll be just perfect!"

"Thanks," Jake tried to give his Uncle a smile. It only came out as a halfhearted smirk, however.

"I know what will you help you," Reggie tapped his head, "I have a surprise for you! From your Dad."

"From…Dad?" Jake sounded surprised, to say the least.

"Yep, a brand new Pokémon," Reggie held up the poke ball for proof. "Do you have room on your team?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll send this little guy over right away," Reggie beamed. "I bet if you used him in battle, you'd have a great friendship right away!"

"Yeah, maybe," Jake shrugged. "Thanks, Uncle Reggie."

"No problem," Reggie nodded before giving his nephew a small wave. "I'll send the poke ball over now!"

As soon as the connection ended, Jake scoffed and rolled his eyes as he got up from his chair and walked over to the door of his room.

"Yeah, right. Because I'm going to use some new Pokémon against a gym leader. It's probably weak." As Jake laid a hand on the doorknob and went to turn it, however, he stopped and let his Uncle's almost unbelievable words sink it. "But if it's really from Dad…it can't be weak."

And with that on his mind, Jake finally opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

**XXX**

Back in Veilstone City, located in the Sinnoh region, a somewhat relieved Reggie got up from the video phone and placed the poke ball he had been showing off to Jake in the transporter, pressing a few buttons before the ball disappeared, steadily on its way to the Saffron City Pokémon Center.

As soon as that task was accomplished, the sound of a door opening caught Reggie's attention and brought him over to the foyer of the house. He was pleased to see that it was Maylene, who had just walked in with Lucario at her side.

"Hey there, honey," Reggie greeted the pink haired gym leader sweetly. "How did your gym battle go?"

"It was alright, I lost," Maylene smiled weakly. "But…that's just part of the job!"

"That it is," Reggie nodded. He always got concerned when Maylene would lose gym battles, ever since that incident many years ago when she had lost her battling confidence after losing to Paul…and then being insulted by him. She was much stronger than she had been when she was younger, though, both physically and mentally. Maylene never let losing bother her. Not since she'd met Dawn and Ash, anyway.

"What did you do while I was gone?" Maylene asked.

"Jake called," Reggie replied.

"Really?" Maylene seemed surprised. Jake had left for his journey a while ago, but he seemed to have a real hesitance calling anyone. He hadn't even called Paul once since he'd left.

"I know, I wasn't expecting it," Reggie sighed. "He was all worked up."

"Why? Jake's not the kind of kid to get worked up easily."

"He met up with Ash's children," Reggie smirked.

"Oh! I forgot that Ash had children that were Jake's age!" Maylene's eyes were shining. "How fun!"

"Yeah, try telling that to Jake," Reggie ran a hand through his dark purple hair, which led Maylene to frown. "He wasn't exactly happy to run into Aiden. He's still got that rivalry between Paul and Ash running through his veins."

"You think Paul put all that into his head?" Maylene asked.

"I definitely do believe that," Reggie slowly shook his head. "I love my brother, but I really don't think he's the best father to Jake. I hate seeing Jake act out that way. Quite a few times during our phone conversation, he almost lost his temper. Fortunately, I got him to calm down."

"And what did you just send to him?"

"The Elekid that Paul's Electivire bred under my care. I thought that it'd be a good Pokémon for Jake to train."

"Well, that was sweet of you," Maylene smiled at her husband.

"Yeah, except I might have lied to Jake," Reggie rubbed his palm against his forehead. "Just a little."

"What do you mean you lied to him?" Maylene raised an eyebrow.

"I told him that Elekid was a gift from Paul," Reggie sighed.

"Reggie," Maylene frowned.

"I had to! I just…I don't know. I feel so bad for Jake. He's always trying to win Paul's approval and make his father proud of him. But Paul is a total brick wall, even when it comes to his son. I just want to make Jake feel like he's on Paul's level."

"I just feel bad for him," Maylene crossed her arms and hunched her shoulders forward. "I know how you feel about your brother, but I really wish he had left Jake with us after Hadley left. He wouldn't have to feel that way all the time."

"And I can't say that I don't agree with you," Reggie pulled Maylene into a hug. "I know it's hard. Especially since, well…"

"We can't have children of our own," Maylene supplied glumly when her husband trailed off. "And I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Maylene," Reggie whispered. "You know that I've never once blamed you for that. And trust me, I know how difficult it is when we wanted a child and my brother ends up with one that he didn't even want. But that's why we're able to give Jake so much love. The kind of love that Paul is, in all honesty, incapable of giving."

"I'm just worried about Jake being out there, that's all," Maylene rubbed at her eyes. "I still have a hard time understanding why he would choose to start his journey in Kanto, and not Sinnoh."

"He wanted to get away, from all of us," Reggie frowned. "And truth be told…I can't blame him."

**XXX**

After receiving the poke ball that his Uncle Reggie had sent him, Jake went to make his way to the back of the Center. He figured he should go back out to the battle field in order to do some training with this new Pokémon before his battle with Sabrina.

On his way, however, the boy just so happened to run into the gym leader, who was with Michelle and Brandon. Jake locked eyes with the red headed girl for a few short moments before he turned his attention onto Sabrina and opened his mouth. Before a word could get out, Sabrina cut him off with a delicate smile.

"You want to battle."

"Uh…yeah," Jake furrowed his brow. "How did you-"

"Psychic," Sabrina smirked. She was clearly amused by this. "I'm ready for another battle, if you'd like to head over to the gym with me now."

"I was going to do some extra training first," Jake bit his lip.

"Not a problem. You just come to me when you're ready. I won't battle another trainer before you."

Jake's eyes widened slightly. He was taken aback by Sabrina's kindness. He had heard that she could be a pretty emotionally numb and distant gym leader, but he hadn't witnessed any of that behavior. And Jake knew emotionless people better than anyone else in the world.

"Thank you," Jake murmured. And with that, he slid past the gym leader in order to get out on the battle field once again.

As soon as Jake disappeared, Aiden popped back up, having left Squirtle with Nurse Joy in order to heal the spunky little turtle.

"Squirtle should be done soon, that's what Nurse Joy said," Aiden smiled at the group.

"That's wonderful," Sabrina gave the boy a small nod. "So, where are you off to next?"

"Well…I'm not sure," Aiden chuckled nervously. "I know I need to go win my fourth gym badge! But Michelle's gotta' get a chance at her third ribbon, too."

"May already told me that the next Contest nearest to here is in Celadon City," Michelle informed her brother. "So I want to go there."

"That's actually perfect," Sabrina broke in once again. "There's a gym located in Celadon City. It's a good one for you to try and earn your fourth badge at, Aiden."

"Celadon City, huh?" Aiden mused before grinning. "Alright! To Celadon City it is! Another double city! Contest _and _gym battle!"

"It should be fun," Brandon laughed.

"And you and I will both win!" Michelle high fived her excited brother.

_Good luck with the Celadon gym leader, Aiden, _Sabrina thought to herself as she smiled at the happy young boy standing before her, _you're going to need it…and I'm not even talking about her battle skills._

* * *

**Yes, Jake is Paul's son. But most of you already knew that! You get a nice little look into his life here, though. It definitely isn't a dream, I'll tell you that much. And yes, I do ship Reggie and Maylene. Curtainshipping ftw :P**

**The drama continues into next chapter! I love this one because it really gets you to thinking about where I'm heading with this story. And once you all read next chapter, you'll DEFINITELY get a feel for the turn that's going to be taken.**

**Until then, keep on reading! :D**


	23. Cave In!

**I UPDATED ON TIME! Hell, I updated EARLIER than I was suppoused to! I know I changed my update day to Tuesdays but now that school's started again, I think it's just gonna be whenever I get the chance to update it. I just finished this chapter, and it's crazy long and dramatic, so I figure if there's a delay on the next chapter, this will make up for it :P**

**Last time: Michelle confronted Jake with her revelation that he was Paul's son. She is right, but is faced with more ire from the boy. Offended by Jake's insults of his and Michelle's father, Aiden challenges Jake to a battle, but not before checking up on his newly hatched Riolu, who is now fully healed. During the battle, Michelle observes that Jake seems to be different than his father, but finds that she still can't fully trust him. After leaving Aiden and Michelle, Jake calls his Uncle Reggie and has a heart to heart conversation with the breeder, and is sent a brand new Pokemon. Meanwhile, Aiden finds out the sight of his next gym battle: Celadon City, the same place where Michelle's next Contest will be.**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Cave In!**

"This looks like a good place to stop for lunch, doesn't it?"

The group had been walking through a group of mountains, on their way to Celadon City, and Brandon had stopped at a flat clearing. It was wide open, with plenty of space for them to set up camp and, most importantly for Aiden, for Brandon to cook lunch.

"Yeah, it's perfect!" Michelle smiled.

"Pi-chu!" Pichu agreed. Just then, a small gurgling noise filled the air, causing the three humans to look around in bewilderment. When Michelle glanced down at her shoulder, she realized that Pichu was blushing, on top of looking rather frustrated.

"You're hungry too, aren't you, Pichu?" Michelle smirked.

"Cha…" Pichu's ears drooped.

"It's not a problem," Brandon chuckled. "Come on! All the Pokémon are gonna' eat too!"

"Pi!" Pichu leapt off of Michelle's shoulder and scurried into the clearing.

With Pichu happily running around to burn off some of her extra energy before lunch, Michelle giggled and pulled out her two other poke balls, throwing them in the air as she called, "alright, guys! Lunch time!"

Appearing from inside their red and white balls were Ponyta and Butterfree. Ponyta neighed happily and trotted over to the side of the mountain, where a small patch of fine grass was growing. Leaning her head down, Ponyta began to happily munch on the grass, and Michelle didn't stop her. She knew that Ponyta loved to graze as a snack. Butterfree, on the other hand, floated over to where Pichu was and proceeded to playfully chase around the baby mouse, who laughed in response.

"Great idea, Shelly!" Aiden took out his four poke balls, holding two spheres in each hand before enlarging them and tossing them up. "Come on out, guys!"

Appearing in a surprisingly neat row were Squirtle, Growlithe, Absol, and, the newest member of Aiden's team: Riolu. Squirtle, the proud and highly independent Pokémon, climbed up a small collection of rocks in order to settle himself on a stone jutting out from the side of the mountain. He just sat there, watching over everyone else in the clearing. Growlithe and Absol both decided to take a little nap in the sun, finding a good spot that was showered in light before lying down and closing their eyes. This left Riolu all alone, and confused as to what he should do.

"Aw, it's okay, Riolu!" Michelle giggled when she saw the confusion set on the baby Pokémon's face. "You can go play with Pichu and Butterfree if you'd like. I'm sure they'd love to have another playmate!"

The emanation Pokémon looked somewhat frightened, but nevertheless toddled, albeit unsurely, over to where Pichu and Butterfree were busy playing. He just stood there silently, not entirely sure of what to do. Sighing, Aiden stepped forward and stood by Riolu's side, putting a big smile on his face.

"Hey, guys!" He called to catch Pichu and Butterfree's attention, which Riolu hadn't been brave enough to do. The two Pokémon stopped and stared up at Aiden curiously. "Would you mind if Riolu played with you?"

Pichu didn't look too excited at the prospect, but Butterfree was quick to nod and flutter over to Riolu, offering one of her blue feet to the little fighting type. Unsurely, he reached out and shook her foot, and once that was accomplished, Butterfree gave the baby a small tap on the head and urged him to chase after her, much like Pichu had already been doing. Riolu grinned and began to run after Butterfree on the tips of his back paws; the same way he walked. Pichu watched the two with a scowl on her face, which led to Michelle gently scolding the Pokémon.

"Pichu, behave," the red head warned. "Riolu is a little shy, and he just needs to make some friends! You could try being his friend, you know, and not such a little brat."

Pichu acted offended by her trainer's words, gasping and holding a small paw over her heart. Michelle's only response was a wry smirk, however. She wasn't buying Pichu's little act. Sighing, the small electric mouse turned back towards the game she had previously been partaking in and soon enough rejoined, keeping on Riolu's heels as _both _baby Pokémon chased after the butterfly.

"There, not so hard!" Michelle giggled.

While those three were now settled and playing together, Brandon chucked his own three poke balls, releasing his current team of Cranidos, Numel, and Rhyhorn. Cranidos was fully prepared to assist his trainer in cooking lunch for everyone, which was made obvious when the head butt Pokémon scurried over to Brandon and stood by the young breeder's leg. Numel was just fine trotting over to the same patch of grass where Ponyta was located and joining the fire pony in on her pre-lunch munching. Rhyhorn, meanwhile, chose to practice his attacks by continuously knocking his head against the side of the mountain, making sure to keep a good distance away from the ledge where Squirtle was relaxing. He didn't want to disturb the small blue turtle, after all.

Aiden and Michelle worked together to set up the table and dishes while Brandon cooked stew. Once the table was set, the twins then went to work on laying out the Pokémon's bowls and filling them up with the type special food that Brandon made for all of them. The creatures must have been starving, because they all abandoned their individual activities very quickly as soon as they saw their bowls had been filled. Even Riolu was eating very heartily, which brought a smile to Aiden's face. You couldn't at all tell that Riolu had hatched too early and was extremely weak for the first few hours of his life.

Not long after the Pokémon's lunch had been set up, the humans' meal was finished cooking. Brandon ladled the thick broth into the three bowls, and then they all sat around the table in order to get their fix. Lunch was almost always a quiet affair, solely because everyone was so busy stuffing their faces. Walking on foot for so long tended to really drum up the appetites of the three young trainers, especially Aiden. When he was just sitting on his butt on the couch, he could go through around three plates of food. So, when the boy was actually being active and wearing himself down, the amount he could eat increased greatly. Michelle found it to be a little startling, and she was always surprised when her mother was never fazed.

"_He's a growing boy," _she had always said whenever she saw the look of disgust on her oldest daughter's face, _"besides, he's got your father's appetite. There was no way around that, I suppose."_

Michelle smiled to herself as she continued to eat her stew. She loved her family, and missed them every day she was on the road. Of course, she loved being on her Pokémon journey, and traveling with her brother and Brandon only made it even more fun. But that didn't mean she was any less homesick. Michelle thought about her family all the time. It was only natural, after all, because they loved her so much. That was their job. All families were supposed to love their children.

_I wonder what it's like for Jake, having Paul as his father, _Michelle allowed her thoughts to wander all over the place. _I wonder if Paul is even a good father. He doesn't really sound like it to me. He sounds like he was a mean trainer. If he couldn't handle Pokémon…how could he handle a kid? Maybe I should have asked Jake. But Jake is a little odd. He's so angry…it's weird. But I don't want to dislike him. I'm not Aiden. I want to give him a chance as a person. That doesn't mean he won't blow it, though. Maybe Paul messed him up. I don't know._

"Michelle! Earth to Michelle!"

The coordinator's head snapped up, and she found herself staring at her twin brother. Both he and Brandon were staring at Michelle like she had too many eyes, which confused the girl to no end.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"You completely spaced out," Aiden replied, eating another spoonful of stew.

"So?"

"It was weird," Aiden continued after swallowing his mouthful. "What are you thinking so hard about, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing," Michelle shrugged, stirring her spoon through her lunch.

_I can't tell him I'm thinking about Jake. He'd be _so _ticked. But I can't tell him I'm thinking about home, either. He'd probably just tease me for being homesick._

Aiden just kept on giving his sister an incredulous stare. He had no idea why she was acting so weird. Whatever was on her mind…she sure was giving a lot of thought to it. Aiden wasn't good at understanding girls, though. He lived with his mother and two sisters, but he could never understand their thought processes. Aiden much better related to his father. So, he decided to leave Michelle alone to her thoughts. Maybe she was just thinking up new strategies for her next Contest and wasn't up for sharing them. Aiden could understand that.

Once lunch was done for both the humans and Pokémon, the three trainers started to clean up. The pot that had been used to make the stew had been washed out and filled up with water; its new use as a makeshift sink for the dirty dishes. Aiden gathered the empty bowls from both the table and the ground and handed them off to Brandon, who was busy scrubbing the containers with dish soap. Michelle's job, on the other hand, was to dry off the dishes with a cloth once Brandon was done washing them. Once they were all clean and dry, they were returned to Aiden's hands for the boy to stuff back into their sacks, which were then stored in Brandon's backpack.

While the trainers were busy with their post lunch chores, most of the Pokémon had decided to settle in and take naps. Pichu and Riolu, however, had other plans. One would think that the baby Pokémon of the group would be the first ones to nap following a big meal. For those two, it was the opposite. They had gained their second winds, and were now raring to play. Pichu was still a little wary of Riolu, but the rest of the Pokémon were already asleep, so the little electric type didn't have much of a choice when it came to a playmate. Besides, Riolu was just as energetic as she was at this point.

Pichu had discovered that she was much bossier than Riolu, and the small mouse decided to use this to her advantage. With that, she could get Riolu to play any game she wanted. Smirking, Pichu pounced on Riolu's wide blue tail, causing the emanation Pokémon to yelp. Riolu was nearly a foot and a half taller than Pichu, so he _did _have the size advantage on her. But that wasn't anything that Pichu couldn't deal with. Hence her jumping onto his tail.

While Riolu was still whimpering and rubbing at his backside, Pichu bounded to his front and stood up on her hind paws, pointing down the slope of the mountain. Riolu removed his paws from his bottom and inched closer to Pichu's side, looking over the edge of the clearing where the group had settled. The slope that Pichu was motioning towards led towards some smaller mountains.

"Pi pichu pi pichupipi," Pichu squeaked to the fighting type. _I want to jump from mountain to mountain._

Riolu whined again, but not out of pain. This time, it was out uncertainty. He wanted to be friends with Pichu and play with her, but Riolu was afraid of upsetting Aiden. Riolu really liked his trainer; he took care of him, especially when he hadn't been feeling too well. Not to mention, Riolu was afraid of getting himself into trouble. He was a timid Pokémon, and that didn't exactly mesh with Pichu's bold nature.

Pichu, however, was getting tired of waiting for Riolu to answer her. She wanted to go play, and if Riolu wasn't willing to do what she wanted, then he could just stay behind all alone, without so much as a playmate to speak of.

"Chu," Pichu ran down the slope before Riolu could say anything. Red eyes widening, Riolu looked over his shoulder to see what the humans were up to. They were still busy with their dishes, and hadn't noticed Pichu run off down the hill. Grimacing, Riolu figured he had no other choice but to follow after Pichu, since he really did want to make some friends. So, with that decision made, Riolu chased after the electric type, down the dusty slope and towards the collection of smaller mountains that decorated the lower level of the clearing where the group was currently settled.

As soon as Riolu had started to run off, Michelle had picked her head up in order to hand off one of the dried dishes to Aiden. She immediately caught sight of Riolu disappearing and audibly gasped, alerting both her brother and Brandon. The boys looked up as well and saw the flash of blue that was Riolu hurrying away from their camp.

"Where the heck is Riolu running off too?!" Aiden jumped to his feet.

"I don't know…" Michelle narrowed her eyes, searching for some kind of clue. "But, not for nothing…I don't see Pichu around here, either."

"Knowing that little baby mouse of yours, I'd say she goaded Riolu into playing," Brandon eyed Michelle. "And by playing-"

"You mean getting into trouble," Michelle sighed.

"You've got it," Brandon smirked.

"I'll go get them," Michelle offered to her brother. "This is Pichu's doing, after all. You just finish up the dishes with Brandon, and I'll catch those two."

"Fine by me," Aiden shrugged, storing another bowl into its satchel.

With the boys continuing their chores, Michelle ran down the dusty slope of the mountain, in hot pursuit of the two baby Pokémon. She was definitely going to scold Pichu once she caught up with them. Riolu was a sweet and innocent little thing, and while Pichu often _acted _the part, Michelle knew the use's true nature was one that was very mischievous. Trouble was Pichu's middle name, for sure.

Several hundred feet away, Pichu had already reached one of the smaller mountains and was attempting to climb its front. She dug her paws into the rock and started the ascent, but it was a little hard to do when she didn't have claws or nails. Just cute little soft paws that definitely weren't made for climbing anything but your common tree in the forest. Pichu just kept on sliding back down, huffing in annoyance every time her fuzzy yellow butt hit the ground. Riolu just watched curiously from behind, wondering how in the world Pichu expected to get to the top of the diminutive mountain. After Pichu failed for the umpteenth time, Riolu decided to step in and see what he could do with the climbing aspect. Because he was a fighting type, Riolu had very strong muscles. Even though he was just a baby Pokémon, Riolu was still much stronger than Pichu was. He clamped his paws onto the rock and managed to pull himself up, clambering up the rock with unprecedented ease. From below, Pichu looked up and watched in pure shock. Go figure, the Pokémon she had dragged along solely to present her own dominance had managed to show her up. Needless to say, Pichu wasn't too happy about it, but she couldn't say she wasn't impressed.

"Pichu! Riolu!"

The small mouse looked over her shoulder, ears twitching at the call of her name. Riolu, on the other hand, was too busy climbing the small mountain to do the same. He hadn't even heard the shout of his name. Michelle appeared, having finally caught up to the two runaways. She glared down at Pichu, whose big ears flopped down.

"You know you've been bad, don't you?" Michelle asked. She didn't like to yell at her Pokémon. She could give a good scolding, however.

"Pi," Pichu muttered.

"You shouldn't be spreading your influence onto Riolu," Michelle shook her head. "Don't turn him into a naughty Pokémon, too!"

"Chu!" Pichu argued. She didn't like that connotation very much.

While her partner Pokémon was still strung up on being called naughty, Michelle peered up and caught sight of Riolu scaling the side of the mountain. She raised an eyebrow and watched out of fascination for a few moments before thinking that if her brother knew she had let his baby Pokémon ascend a mountain, he probably wouldn't be too thrilled. Aiden was just as protective of Riolu as she was of Pichu, despite his best efforts to hide such feelings.

"Hey, Riolu, get down from there!" Michelle called sweetly to the emanation Pokémon. "It's dangerous up there!"

Finally, Riolu looked down at the red head. This forced him to realize just how high up he actually was. Frowning, Riolu froze up and squeezed himself closer against the mountain. Michelle sighed and shook her head. How could she have known that Riolu would've gained a fear of heights during this little adventure?

"Well, I don't have Butterfree with me, since she's napping back at the campsite," Michelle groaned. "How am I gonna' get you down, Riolu?"

"Ri!" Riolu cried. He obviously had no clue as to how that was going to work out.

Suddenly, from the base of the mountain, a hole started to form, much to Michelle and Pichu's surprise. Pichu, in fact, was a little bit more startled than her trainer, and jumped up onto the coordinator's shoulder. With Pichu perched safely, Michelle leaned in closer, trying to figure out what was creating that growing hole. Finally, the rock broke open and revealed the dark insides of the mountain. This showed to Michelle that the mountain was actually hollow to some extent.

"So, these little mountains aren't actually mountains," Michelle looked around in interest. "They're caves!"

From inside the newly carved hole, a fuzzy brown head poked its way out from inside the rock formation. Michelle blinked and locked her emerald eyes on the creature. It was completely adorable; with big, brown eyes, long, pointed ears, and a cream colored ring of fur around its neck.

"I know who you are," Michelle breathed, retrieving her light blue pokedex to scan the Pokémon anyway.

_Eevee, the evolution Pokémon. Eevee's genetic structure is irregularly shaped, which enables them to evolve into different Pokémon depending on their location or evolutional circumstance. _

"Eevee is such a cool Pokémon!" Michelle squealed, smiling down at the fuzzy normal type. "Mom used to have one when she was younger, and then she evolved it into Vaporeon using a water stone! And May had an Eevee too, who evolved into Glaceon by touching the Ice Rock in Sinnoh! Sam's Dad had an Eevee back when he and my Dad were just beginning trainers, and his Eevee evolved into Umbreon. Even Clarisse had an Eevee at one point, who's now her Espeon. It's amazing that you can evolve into almost any type of Pokémon, Eevee! If I had one of you, I wonder which one I'd evolve you into…"

"Vee…"

Michelle leaned in closer to the little evolution Pokémon and realized it was trembling. It's expression also wasn't exactly one of joy. In fact, it looked quite terrified.

"Hey, what's wrong, Eevee?" Michelle frowned. "You seem really scared for some reason."

At that same moment, Riolu's paws slipped from the rocky façade of the cave and he went tumbling through the air. Both Michelle and Pichu gasped in fear, but Eevee was ready to fix the situation. The little brown ball of fur jumped out of the cave, streaks of white appearing behind the small creature as it managed to get underneath Riolu and prevent the baby Pokémon from hitting the ground.

"Wow, that was some quick attack!" Michelle beamed.

"Pi!" Pichu agreed.

Riolu smiled and started to thank Eevee in his own language. The normal type, however, still looked very concerned. Michelle frowned and knelt down by Eevee. Fortunately, the little thing didn't seem to be afraid of humans.

"I'd love to know what's wrong," Michelle informed the scared little thing. "Maybe I could help you!"

"Ee?" Eevee glanced up at the red head.

"I'm a Pokémon trainer," Michelle smiled. "It's my job to help Pokémon! I'll always do anything I can. So, if you can just tell me what's wrong, I can probably help you out!"

Eevee squeaked quietly before running down deeper into the collection of caves. Michelle got back up to her feet and assumed that Eevee wanted her to follow it.

"Come on, Riolu," Michelle beckoned to the baby fighting type. He nodded and began to scurry alongside Michelle as she ran after the alarmed Eevee. About midway down, in a wide open space, Eevee stopped and began to sniff the air. Michelle halted behind the furry normal type and waited for it to pick up on whatever it was searching out. After a moment, Eevee made a sharp turn left on its heels, and Michelle was soon booking it right behind. This led them to a much more cluttered area of the terrain; there were caves practically on top of one another. They were all very small, and Michelle was certain that she wouldn't be able to fit into any of them. A small Pokémon like Eevee, however, definitely could.

They were hiding behind one of the smaller caves; an end one. That left a path that led out into the center of the clustered caverns. Peeking just a little bit of its face out, Eevee peered into the center of the rocky ring. Michelle did the same, and found that in the middle of the circle of caves was another flat surface; this one quite a bit smaller than all of the previous ones that Michelle had run across. The clearing was cluttered with a mess of machines, laptops, and other devices that Michelle had no idea were. Amongst these quietly beeping machines was a person; a teenage boy with blood red hair. It was long, nearly down to his shoulders in fact, and the bangs were swept up until they hung out in the air. Layers of spike edged hair also framed his face, which held almost no complexion to it whatsoever. His skin was very light, almost milky in tone. The teen's eyes were definitely his most striking and interesting feature; the left one was a bright red, almost like the candied cherries that were put into cookies. His right eye, however, was a very dark and shaded gray, so much so in fact that it looked more black than anything. A deep red scar was marked on the boy's face, right above and below his black hued eye. It was longer on the top than it was on the bottom; nearly reaching his eyebrow, in fact. His outfit choice was also an intriguing one; a black kimono top bordered in the same bloody red as his hair, and a pair of armored pants that reminded Michelle of what a medieval knight might have worn. They were made of a deep red metallic, with pointed gold accents from his shins all the way up to the very tops of his thighs. On his feet was a pair of very sleek boots, the body of which was black leather and adorned by red zippers.

Call it a hunch, but Michelle had a feeling the boy was up to no good.

Suddenly, one of his machines; a small black box with some kind of satellite sticking out from the top, began to beep relentlessly. The boy growled at this and got to his feet, looking around the area. Eevee whimpered and backed up so it was once again hidden behind the cave. Michelle followed suit and crouched down low, Riolu snuggling up to her side. He was scared. And Pichu was shaking as well. Michelle knew from her father that Pokémon could sense a lot of things that humans couldn't. Maybe they were getting the feeling that something really bad was about to happen.

The loud, angry beeping continued to fill the air. The teenage boy only began to look more confused, and more annoyed. He knew there had to be a reason as to why his devices were acting up. He had just fine tuned them, so obviously they weren't malfunctioning. Something…or someone…was near.

He stepped away from his machines and stared out over the edge of the cliff he had made his home base. A little group of Eevee had been there; these caverns, he'd assumed, were their homes. But Eevee was one of the most useless Pokémon he could think of, so the boy did the most natural thing he could possibly think to do: sick all of his Pokémon onto the little creatures and send them running for their lives. That had been the fun before the business.

The teenager could see off the edge of the cliff by peeking between two of the caves. It required a little bit of maneuvering and the smallest amount of climbing; simply getting one's foot into the parted rock. All he saw below, however, was more rock and the occasional desert tree. He swore, if those dumb Eevee had come back thinking they could reclaim their territory, he'd-

"Hey, what's with all of this?"

"Looks awfully familiar, doesn't it?"

"You're right, Sneasel! It does!"

At this, the teenager narrowed his two differently colored eyes. He could recognize those voices from anywhere. They were the voices of three bumbling idiots who drove him insane. Of _course_ they would find him out here, in one of the most remote places possible. How fitting.

Michelle, meanwhile, registered those voices in her head as well. She didn't feel as afraid of them as the other boy, however, so she once again peered out from behind the cavern to see what those three crooks were up to now.

Jewel was holding one of the small, gray boxes to her chest, staring down at it with her sky blue eyes. She began to shake it, as though it was a present and she was a curious child trying to figure out what was inside.

"Whatever they are, they're dumb," Jewel muttered. "They don't do anything!"

"Don't they look familiar to you too, Jewelley?" Jason prodded.

"No! Why would a bunch of dumb things like this ring any of my bells?"

"Because they look like Magnus' toys," Sneasel supplied.

This caught Michelle's interest. She had never heard the name Magnus before. Who was that? She figured that if Team Rocket knew him, he was probably part of that gross, villainous team.

"You three are surefire _fools_ if you consider those gadgets to be toys."

The three operatives shrieked and spun around, finding the blood red haired boy to be staring out at them from between two of the caves. He looked highly irritated, but even with that angry look on his face, Michelle couldn't help but to notice he still didn't gain any color in his face. Not even the tiniest hint of a fury fueled blush, in fact.

"Magnus, sir!" Jason laughed nervously, causing the older boy to scowl. "Long time no see…"

"Any time passed without seeing you isn't long enough," Magnus retorted.

A shiver went up Jason's spine as the older boy stared him down. Truth be told, Jason was rather afraid of him. Magnus had been raised to hold power over everyone else, and he did it very well. Of course he did; lest he disappoint his father.

"What are you doing out here?" Sneasel asked, trying to not to show the red haired teen that he too was afraid of him. "Did the boss send you to do some of his work?"

"I'm on my own mission, for your information," Magnus huffed. "This has nothing to do with my father's plans."

"Then what are you doing out here?" Jason asked in a timid voice.

"That is classified information," Magnus replied simply.

"But-"Jewel began before being cut off by her boss's son.

"I'm so sick of you three," Magnus seethed, eyeing the trio with deeply narrowed eyes. "I didn't chase away an entire pack of Pokémon just to have you interfere with my plans! Get out of here!"

At this, Eevee whimpered, and Michelle lowered her gaze back onto the cowering little normal type. Magnus' words seemed to have really bothered Eevee, even more so than the small Pokémon already was.

"Eevee…" Michelle breathed, "Did Magnus chase you away from your home?"

Slowly, Eevee nodded in conferment. Michelle growled quietly and bore her eyes into the back of the evil teenager. She knew he had been up to no good! As if learning he was part of Team Rocket hadn't confirmed that, discovering he was responsible for taking over a group of Pokémon's home was even worse. Messing with Pokémon that way was completely vile, and Michelle wouldn't stand for it.

"Pi," Pichu snarled from her trainer's shoulder.

"You're just as mad as I am, aren't you?" Michelle turned her head.

"Pi-pi!"

"Ri-o!" Riolu barked from the ground. He obviously didn't like Magnus or his tactics, either.

"Think we should do something about it?" Michelle glanced between the two angry Pokémon.

"Chu."

"Ri!"

"Alright," Michelle nodded before standing up to her full height. "Then let's go."

Eevee watched in half horror, half admiration as Michelle stepped out from behind the cave, Pichu still glaring angrily at Magnus from her shoulder. Riolu too moved out, standing by Michelle's legs the entire time.

"Hey, just what do you think you're doing?!"

The trio of young Team Rocket, along with Magnus, all whipped around so they had Michelle in their eyesight. Jason, Jewel, and Sneasel all gasped, while Magnus chuckled darkly and cast the red headed girl a sly grin.

"Well, well. I've been waiting for you…Michelle."

**XXX**

"What do you think is taking Michelle so long?"

Brandon turned his eyes onto Aiden. The younger boy had just finished putting away the last of the now clean dishes, and he was looking obviously concerned.

"I'm not sure," Brandon answered honestly. "You wouldn't think that Pichu and Riolu would go that far in such a short amount of time."

"I think something is wrong."

At this, Brandon raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"I've just got a feeling," Aiden slowly stood up, staring down the long slope that Michelle had previously descended down in order to chase after their two young Pokémon. "And when it comes to Michelle…my feelings are usually right."

Brandon couldn't argue with that. He had known Aiden and Michelle since they were all just babies, after all, and Brandon had always been aware of the special bond the siblings shared. They had always been able to sense one another's emotions, and could tell when the other was in trouble. Though a bit strange, it proved to be very helpful, especially on this journey of theirs.

"I believe you, then," Brandon pulled out his three poke balls and returned his companions. "If you think Michelle is in danger, then we've got to go and find her."

Aiden nodded and followed Brandon's lead; returning his Pokémon to their spheres. He did the same for Michelle's Pokémon and dropped them off in her backpack, so they were safe. Once they were all back in their balls, the raven haired boy led the way down the dusty path that Michelle had previously taken, keeping his eyes open for his twin sister. Brandon followed behind closely, carrying both his backpack and Michelle's.

"Well, well. I've been waiting for you…Michelle."

Aiden stopped short, Brandon accidentally walking into him. Standing right in front of Aiden, with her back towards him, was none other than Michelle. Aiden was a little surprised to see she hadn't gotten very far, considering how long she'd been gone for. She had Pichu on her shoulder and Riolu by her side as well, which also brought a sense of relief to the young trainer. Michelle had wrangled up the Pokémon, as well.

But standing before Michelle was a more troubling sight for the boy. It was those three losers from Team Rocket, and an older boy who Aiden had never seen before. His dark red hair and creepy, differently colored eyes were boring straight into his sister. And the fact that he had known her name, while not exactly surprising because of their parents' fame, was still creepy. Especially since he'd apparently been _waiting_ for her.

"What do you mean you've been waiting?" Michelle asked, as though she'd read Aiden's mind.

"You needn't have to worry about the nuances, for now," Magnus assured the girl. "All you have to do is come with me. Not so hard, right?"

"You're insane if you think I would just blindly follow you out of here," Michelle bit.

"Oh, I don't expect that," Magnus smirked. "It would be lovely, but I know that's not going to happen. You're a smart girl. I have incentives for you to come with me. Things I can offer you that not even your parents' names could bring you. Wouldn't you love to discover those things? The feeling of true power?"

"No thanks, I'm not a disgusting human being like you and the rest of Team Rocket are," Michelle narrowed her eyes, slowly turning her gaze onto the offended trio standing behind Magnus.

"Hey, that was cold!" Jason frowned.

"Leave it up to a brat to be so hurtful," Sneasel sighed.

Aiden could no longer take watching this. With a snarl, he charged forward, much to Brandon's shock. The young breeder watched in horror as his best friend pulled up next to his sister, a look of pure fury etched on his face.

"You leave my sister alone!" Aiden barked, causing Michelle's head to snap to the side.

"Aiden!" She gasped.

"Excellent, now the both of them are here," Magnus cackled. "It's too easy to get the two of you in one place! My father will be pleased."

"She already said she's not going with you!" Aiden threw a protective arm out in front of Michelle. "So get out of here before I make you _really _sorry for messing with her!"

"It's not just her I want," Magnus' voice was coy, "I want a complete set. You and her. One is great, but two is even better. It's all my father has ever wanted. And I'm not about to let his dream die. But…since you two are so difficult to persuade…" Magnus pulled out a poke ball, "I see we'll have to do this the hard way."

"Fine, if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!" Aiden shouted, whipping out his own poke ball. "Squirtle, I choose you!"

The blue turtle appeared before his trainer, glaring at the red haired boy standing just a few feet away. Pichu, who was now sparking from the cheeks, jumped down from Michelle's shoulder and joined the water type, prepared to take down whichever Pokémon Magnus would call upon.

They wouldn't have to wait much longer, however, as Magnus tossed his own red and white sphere with a simple flick of the wrist. The ball burst open and spit out a ray of blue light, which turned into the solid mass of a black and red furred Pokémon with a devious smirk on its face.

"Is that…" Michelle's eyes widened.

"I think so," Aiden held up his poke dex with shaky hands.

_Zoroark, the illusion fox Pokémon. Zoroark is able to transform itself into other forms and create illusions that are indistinguishable from reality, all of which are used to delude its opponents and others alike._

"Zoroark is from the Unova region," Michelle breathed. "Dad's told us about it before, but I've never seen a real one."

"It's a rare Pokémon," Aiden noted before turning his expression into one of anger. "They probably stole it."

"How cute, making accusations like you're a little detective," Magnus narrowed his differently colored eyes before pointing out a threatening finger towards the two, "Zoroark, teach those two a lesson! Night slash!"

Zoroark took a graceful and long stride forward, practically flying through the air as he extended both of his arms to reveal claws that were glowing a deep crimson. His left claws slashed Pichu, while the right hit Squirtle, sending both Pokémon skidding backwards in obvious pain.

"Pichu, no!" Michelle cried.

"We've gotta' fight back!" Aiden shook his head. "Squirtle, use water gun!"

Realizing her brother was right, Michelle put on a brave, determined face and ordered, "Pichu, charge beam!"

Squirtle's powerful blast of water was met with a shock of electricity coming from a sphere formed at Pichu's paws. The fusion of water and electricity hit Zoroark at the same time, and while the dark type was visibly wincing, it didn't appear that the attack had done much damage.

"Hey, for a bunch of brats, they aren't battling fairly!" Jason accused.

"Yeah, two on one is cheating!" Sneasel agreed.

"As much as we don't like Magnus, he _is _the boss's son," Jewel glanced at her teammates. "And that means we have to help him out."

Jason nodded in agreement. Simultaneously, the two siblings pulled out their poke balls and called, "Nidoran! Go!"

The two poison pin Pokémon appeared side by side, close to where Zoroark stood. The dark type glanced down and glared at the two smaller creatures, who visibly shied away from such a dark look. Magnus, just like his Pokémon, was not pleased by the appearance of the two Nidoran.

"I don't need help from a bunch of fools!" Magnus barked at his two operatives. "Stay out of my way!"

"We can't let you battle two on one!" Jason was shocked.

"My Zoroark is far more powerful than those two weaklings," Magnus eyed Pichu and Squirtle. "Now, back off!"

"Use bubble!" Aiden ordered his Pokémon. Squirtle spat out a stream of bubbles right at the female Nidoran, making direct contact and causing the poison type to cry out in pain.

"Useless, just like I thought," Magnus sneered, much to Jewel's displeasure.

"My Nidoran is not useless!" Jewel argued. "I'll show you! Nidoran, poison sting!"

"You too, Nidoran!" Jason chimed.

The two Pokémon fired off a series of bright purple spikes, both of which made contact with Pichu and Squirtle. Brandon was unamused that Team Rocket was now the ones utilizing unfair battle tactics, and he wasn't about to stand by and let it happen.

"Hey, three on two is cheating too!" Brandon barked, throwing his own poke ball. "Rhyhorn, rock blast!"

Brandon's spikes Pokémon appeared, and as soon as it had materialized, three bright yellow rings appeared around the dual type's body before turning white, and then into circle of rock that were fired off towards Zoroark and the two Nidoran. The dark type had enough experience to know to jump out of the way and avoid the attack. The two poison types, however, couldn't get out of the way fast enough and instead knocked heads as they attempted to run, their pain only being compounded as they were hit by Rhyhorn's rock type attack.

"Thanks, Brand-o," Aiden took a sigh of relief.

"Don't mention it," the breeder in training smirked.

"Using friendship in a battle, how quaint," Magnus spat before yelling, "Zoroark, punishment!"

The dark type's slender arms began to glow purple, and in one single swoop, the illusion fox nailed all three of his opponents into the side of a nearby cave, causing them great pain between both the attack and the brunt force of which they'd been smashed against the rocky surface.

"This is bad!" Brandon warned while Aiden and Michelle gasped in horror.

From behind one of the caves, Eevee peered out and watched the "battle" in horror. It was a completely unfair match up. And those Pokémon were just trying to defend him! It all led back to Eevee. Growling, Eevee bent down by his legs and set a harsh glare onto Magnus, and then Zoroark. Eevee knew he couldn't just stand around any longer…he needed to help out, too. This was _his _home, after all, and now he was going to defend it _and_ his newfound friends.

"Now that that's done…" Magnus smiled evilly at Aiden and Michelle, sending a shiver up both trainers' spines, "Zoroark, get those two with foul play."

Zoroark smirked once again and held his claws out in front of himself, until a large ring of gold formed and was sent towards the frozen in fear siblings.

"That's the strongest dark type move a Pokémon can use!" Brandon screamed at his friends. "Get out of the way! Guys!"

It was no use. Aiden and Michelle were too stunned to move, and too stunned to even hear Brandon's warning. Just as the golden ring was about to hit them, the brother and sister pair were knocked out of the way by a strong, but small, force. They hit the ground, which hurt, but must have hurt much less than getting hit by foul play would have. Michelle was the first to sit up, pushing herself up by her hands. With weary eyes, she was able to see a small brown ball of fur standing only inches away from her and Aiden, smiling determinedly at them.

"Eevee!" Michelle gasped. "It was you!"

Aiden scrambled up now and also caught sight of the normal type. "An Eevee?"

"These caves were the homes of Eevee and its pack, but Magnus shooed them away so he could get his evil plan underway, whatever it is," Michelle explained. "I found Eevee running away and scared because of him, using dig to get through different caves in order to escape!"

"Great, so this guy's even worse than I thought," Aiden winced in pain as he pushed down even more on his hands.

"Aiden, are you okay?" Michelle crawled closer to her brother.

"I hurt my shoulder," Aiden groaned. "I can barely move my arm…"

"It's probably shocked," Michelle growled, knowing this was all Magnus' fault.

"Vee!"

Eevee was now standing guard before the two siblings, looking ready to attack Zoroark head on. Magnus, however, didn't look interested in such a battle. Instead, he simply rolled his eyes and yelled, "Zoroark, night daze."

The dark type's eyes began to glow blue as his dark body became surrounded by a crimson aura. As the aura around its arms grew thicker and brighter, Zoroark threw its arms down so they smashed against the ground, creating a force field of pink and crimson energy that exploded around the entire area in a fierce bubble. The power from the attack blew Aiden, Michelle, Brandon, and all of their Pokémon back further, until they were all smacked against one of the surrounding caves. As soon as the power died down, Michelle made to jump to her feet, but nearly fell back down. Brandon managed to catch the girl before she hit the ground again, and the coordinator threw her friend a grateful glance.

"Hey…they're gone!"

Michelle and Brandon both looked down at Aiden, who was now sitting up and staring across the open clearing. The two upright trainers glanced in the same direction, and realized that Aiden was right. Magnus, Jason, Jewel, and their five Pokémon were now nowhere to be seen.

"It makes no sense," Brandon sighed. Michelle was now standing up on her own, but Brandon still had his arms wrapped around her waist. Once the two realized they were still situated like that, they both blushed furiously and separated themselves, not daring to look at one another. Their embarrassed looks only ceased once Aiden got to his own feet and turned his attention onto the two, with a sense of bewilderment surrounding him.

"Why do you think Team Rocket is so fascinated with us?" Michelle finally managed to ask her brother.

"I don't know," Aiden answered honestly. "I don't even know what Magnus was trying to do out here. He's a bad guy, that's for sure."

"Ee…vee…"

Riolu turned his head to the side, where he found Eevee still cowering sadly. Michelle walked over and knelt beside the furry brown Pokémon, stroking him on his head. "You're sad about not being able to find your friends, aren't you, Eevee?"

"Vee," Eevee nodded.

"Well, you saved me and Aiden from Magnus, so I think I owe you," Michelle smiled. "Why don't you come along with us? I'm sure we'll run into your friends eventually. But I don't want you to stay out here on your own! That's no fun."

Eevee glanced up at Michelle and carefully studied the girl's face. She gave the Pokémon a confident smile, to which the evolution Pokémon squealed and tried to jump into Michelle's lap.

"I guess that's a yes!" Brandon chuckled.

"Alright, Eevee," Michelle pulled out an empty poke ball that would soon contain the sweet little normal type, "welcome to the team!"

**XXX**

After using Zoroark's night daze as a diversion, Magnus had kicked Jason, Jewel, and Sneasel off the cliff and gotten away using a jetpack, after returning his partner Pokémon to its poke ball. Once in the air, Magnus raised his wrist to his face, staring down at the rectangular shaped watch on which he had just punched in a few numbers. After waiting a few seconds, the image of Giovanni appeared, staring back at the boy.

"The targets showed up while I was in the middle of my mission," Magnus informed the mafia boss, "but those three sniveling idiots managed to ruin the whole plot before I had a chance to carry it out."

"It figures, they're just like those older imbeciles who took them in," Giovanni scowled. "Don't dwell on such failures, Magnus. You are much smarter than they are, and you have a job to do."

"Right."

"I'll be sending a pair of more competent operatives your way, to protect you from those three buffoons," Giovanni added. "For now, continue to keep an eye out for the targets. We're not ready to strike just yet, but I want to know exactly where they are and where they are going."

"Yes, father."

* * *

**A new Pokemon for Michelle and some more about Team Rocket's plan revealed. What do you guys think of Magnus? I'm pretty pleased with the way he came out :P He'll be showing up a few more times...he's an integral part of Team Rocket's plan. And who do you think these new operatives are that Giovanni is sending?**

**I love all the ideas and suppourt you guys give me in your reviews, so thanks a bunch! I'll continue to try and entertain you with Aiden and Michelle's little journey ^^**


	24. Adventures in Celadon

**IT'S FINALLY FINISHED.**

**This chapter was such a pain in my ass. I know it's been so long since an update. I literally just finished this chapter! It wasn't interesting me, though. It was a little hard to write for me. But I finally got it out of the way! Hopefully it'll be easier to write now ^^**

**Last Time: While stopping for lunch, Pichu and Aiden's newest capture, Riolu, run off from the group, leading Michelle to try and get them back. She ends up in a run in with Team Rocket, however, and finds herself in serious trouble! Along with a young Eevee who was kicked out of his home by the mysterious and evil Magnus, Michelle is nearly taken by Team Rocket until Aiden and Brandon come to rescue her! But Team Rocket is still at large, and even worse, Magnus won't stop with his evil plans until he can appease his father: Giovanni.**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Adventures in Celadon**

"Welcome to Celadon City!"

Aiden and Michelle were in awe of the huge city. Brandon chuckled and stepped over the threshold that separated the metropolis from its more natural border. It was full of tall buildings and bustling streets and sidewalks, people rushing everywhere.

"It's funny how Cerulean and Pewter are both cities too, but can be so different from a real big place like Celadon," Michelle giggled.

"Yeah, and just to think when we were kids, Mom was afraid of us running off and playing in the streets," Aiden was busy tilting his head back to stare at a tall skyscraper. "I wonder what she would have done if we had lived somewhere more like Celadon City."

"She probably would have put us on leashes," Michelle smirked.

"And we all thought Saffron was a hopping place," Brandon turned to his friends.

"Since this city is so big, there must be all kinds of stuff to do here!" Michelle beamed.

"I've got a whole list of places to check out right here on my pokegear," Brandon held up the blue and black device. "Should we check it out?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Michelle nodded.

"But, guys, what about my gym battle?" Aiden frowned.

"Come on, Aiden, the gym isn't going anywhere," Michelle shook her head. "You'll have plenty of time for a gym battle! Don't you want to take some down time to explore the city?"

"No, I want my fourth badge!"

"Show me what you've got, Brandon," Michelle smiled at the young breeder, choosing to ignore her brother outright. Aiden's jaw dropped, but soon that expression gave way to one of sheer annoyance.

"Sure thing, let's see what it says here…" Brandon began to scroll down the list on his poke gear's screen. "Well, there's the Celadon Department Store, which is the largest building _and _shopping center in the Kanto region. It's ideal for fashion, accessories, and food."

"That sounds perfect!" Michelle squealed. "Oh, can we go? _Please?_"

"No, that's stupid!" Aiden bit.

"So are you, but you don't hear me complaining," Michelle scoffed.

"Alright, settle down, you two," Brandon sighed, still staring down at his pokegear. "Wow, a world famous move tutor lives here! I'd love to go visit him and get some advice!"

"I guess we can all go off and do separate things," Michelle suggested.

"That sounds fine to me," Brandon nodded. "How about we all agree to meet back up at the Pokémon Center around five for dinner?"

"Awesome!" Michelle smiled. "Come on, Pichu, let's go shopping!"

"Pi!" Pichu trilled.

"And I'm off to the move tutor!" Brandon saluted, walking off in the opposite direction of Michelle.

"Hey, guys, what about me?!" Aiden whined. His complaint fell on deaf ears, however, as Michelle and Brandon went towards their separate destinations and left Aiden alone by the entrance of Celadon City. "Well, this bites…"

Grumbling to himself, the young trainer trudged along until he found a small park, with a beautiful stone fountain the center that was surrounded by matching stone benches. Aiden took a seat on one and decided that since there wasn't much he wanted to do in the city other than earn his fourth gym badge, he would take some time to himself in order to polish his badges and poke balls. It wasn't the most fun activity in the world, but it did make him a good trainer, and was better than doing nothing at all. As he pulled out Squirtle's red and white sphere and began to rub it with a cloth that he had stored in his backpack, a slim shadow fell over him, causing the boy to look up in bewilderment. When he realized who it was standing over him, he shrieked and nearly fell off the bench, causing the newly arrived visitor to giggle.

"Cl-Clarisse!" Aiden gasped, his cheeks flushed.

"Hi!" The blonde greeted cheerfully. "It's nice to see you again, Aiden!"

Shaking his head out, Aiden continued to stare at the coordinator as he managed to sputter out, "wh…what are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the Contest, silly!" Clarisse giggled. "I also…well, I kind of live here."

"You're from Celadon City?" Aiden had settled down from the shock of Clarisse's sudden appearance.

"Mmhm," Clarisse nodded. "Isn't it wonderful? I love this place." Looking to Aiden's sides, the girl realized he was all alone, and this was enough to pique her interest. "Hey, where are Michelle and Brandon?"

"They both ran off to do their own things," Aiden shrugged. "Michelle wanted to go shopping, and Brandon was going to visit some movie tutor or something."

"You mean the _move_ tutor," Clarisse snickered.

"Oh," Aiden blinked, not at all flustered by his mistake. He made those an awful lot, so he was used to it.

"So, how come you're in the park all alone?" Clarisse sat down next to the boy, which now caused him to blush for some unknown reason. "Isn't there anywhere you wanted to check out in Celadon?"

"No, I just want to go challenge the gym," Aiden shrugged. "I'm not into sightseeing and all that stuff."

"Are you into the myths of legendary Pokémon?"

Aiden picked his head up. "Legendary Pokémon?"

"Yeah, there's a Pokémon researcher who lives here, and he's an expert on legendary Pokémon," Clarisse explained. "He's got all kinds of amazing stories about the legendary beasts. From the time he was 10 years old, he chased after the legendary Pokémon, Suicune. Have you heard of it?"

"Of course I have," Aiden replied, not sure of whether or not he should mention that his parents had met Suicune before.

"I wish I could meet Suicune, it's such a beautiful Pokémon," Clarisse sighed. "I've seen pictures of it, you know. Some people don't think it's real, but I do. What do you think?"

Smirking at the girl, Aiden assured her, "I think it's real, too."

"That's amazing!" Clarisse's hazel eyes were shimmering. "Since you believe in Suicune too, I should take you to meet Eusine. He loves meeting other trainers who have an interest in legendary Pokémon! What do you say?"

"I guess it's better than sitting around and polishing stuff," Aiden shrugged. "Besides, I do love learning about the legendary Pokémon!"

"Awesome!" Clarisse grabbed Aiden's hand and pulled him up, causing the young boy to blush even more furiously. "Come on, I'll bring you over to his house!"

"Uh…he's okay with that?" Aiden raised an eyebrow.

"Of course, Eusine's door is always open to Pokémon trainers," Clarisse nodded. "Besides, he and I have been friends since I was a little girl! I'm sure he'll be happy to see me again!"

**XXX**

Michelle, meanwhile, was browsing all the different boots and counters at the Celadon Department Store. The bottom floor was the one which housed all of the restaurants, and already Michelle was thinking of which one she was going to stop at for lunch.

"Isn't this place just amazing, Pichu?" Michelle asked her partner Pokémon.

"Pi!" Pichu squeaked.

"They have literally everything," Michelle breathed. "I bet they have stuff that would be great for Contests, too!"

"Chu?" Pichu asked, pointing a paw outwards. Michelle looked in that direction and found that her little electric mouse was motioning towards a booth that was full of ball capsules and seals.

"Whoa, nice find, Pichu!" Michelle giggled. She scurried over to the counter, peering into the glass case and studying the different seals. Some of them she had already seen for sale in the Contest Halls and Pokémon Centers, but others were very different.

"I see you were drawn in by our specialty seals!"

Michelle glanced up and realized that a saleslady was now standing in front of her, although the glass counter was still creating a barrier between them. The woman had golden blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and seemed very happy.

"Oh, yeah, they're really cool!" Michelle beamed.

"They're a great buy, too, since the Contest happening here in a few days is a Super Contest," the woman continued. "Are you entering?"

"Yes, I am!" Michelle was a little surprised at this revelation. That was the first she'd heard of the Celadon Contest being a super one. _Looks like I'll be wearing my dress again._

"We've got seals that just arrived earlier today, and they're going to be very popular, I think," the woman grinned. "Would you like to see them?"

"That'd be great!" Michelle was very excited.

The saleslady pulled out a few seals that Michelle had never seen before: blue confetti, blue eighth notes, orange quarter notes, and yellow lightning bolts.

"Wow, those are awesome!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling.

"No one has bought any of these yet," the woman explained. "They'll look excellent in the Celadon Contest! If nothing else, they'll certainly make an impression on the judges."

"And that's exactly what I want," Michelle's eyes were shimmering. "So, Pichu, which seal should I buy?"

Pichu twitched her ears as she looked down at the laid out seals. The small mouse examined each one very carefully before squeaking in excitement and pointing at all three of the small, colorful shapes.

"What, you want me to buy them all?" Michelle twisted her mouth.

"Pi!" Pichu nodded.

"Well…I guess I do have that leftover birthday money on me," Michelle mused, "and these seals are really cool! So…I guess I'll buy all four."

"An excellent choice," the woman smiled and took away the three seals. "I'll just go ring these up and bag them for you!"

Once she was gone, Michelle turned her head to give Pichu a disapproving glare. "You're as bad as me when I go out shopping with my Mom."

"Pi-pi."

**XXX**

At the same time, Brandon was busy heading over to the move tutor's home, which was open to the public. He knew that a move tutor was capable of teaching Pokémon all different kinds of attacks, and the young breeder was looking for his Cranidos to learn something new.

"Come on out, Cranidos!" Brandon beckoned to his partner once he had reached the house of the move tutor. The head butt Pokémon materialized before his trainer and began to look around in confusion, until his eyes locked onto the building before them: a small, lilac sided house with a dark purple roof.

"Cranidos, this is the move tutor's place," Brandon explained to his Pokémon. "I thought maybe he could teach you a new move! What do you think?"

Cranidos smiled and nodded. He did like to learn something new! With that settled, Brandon ran up to the front door, Cranidos eagerly following alongside. Once up on the porch, Brandon began to knock on the door, eyes gleaming with excitement. As he knocked, however, the door swung back, eventually leading to the young breeder accidentally knocking on the man's forehead.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Brandon blushed nervously.

"An eager young thing I see, eh," the man winced, rubbing his forehead. Lowering his hand, the man began to chuckle as he shouted, "ah, I love that enthusiasm in a young trainer!"

"Uh, thanks," Brandon blinked.

"So, let me take a wild guess and say you're here for me to teach your Pokémon a new move, eh?" the man asked.

"Yes, sir!" Brandon nodded. "I would love it if you could teach my Cranidos something new!"

"Cran!" Cranidos chimed from down low.

"Ah yes sure, I can do that, no problem there!" The man tipped his head. "Now, you see, my name is Toby, and I'm the famous move tutor here in Celadon City! It's nice to meet ya', kid! Now, what's your name, eh?"

"I'm Brandon," the younger male introduced himself.

"Brandon, a good strong name for a young trainer, eh?" Toby chuckled. Brandon sweat dropped at this; Toby certainly was an extroverted guy. "Well then, Brandon, how about you and Cranidos just come on inside and we can figure out which move would be best for your little buddy to learn, eh?"

"Yeah, that sounds great!" Brandon followed Toby inside, Cranidos trailing along dutifully.

Toby, in addition to being quite hyper, was a bit of a strange looking man. He was shorter than Brandon was, with pale skin and very dark brown hair that was long and shaggy so it covered his eyes. The man's grin was expansive and seemingly permanent, however.

Once inside, he reached a small wooden table in the corner of the room and flipped open a large binder that was placed in the center. He went through each page until he reached the one he was looking for. When Brandon leaned forward, he could see it was all about Cranidos and the type of moves that the rock type could learn.

"So, let's see now, what kind of move were you looking for Cranidos to learn, eh?" Toby asked.

"Well, I didn't have anything specific in mind," Brandon tapped his chin. "But Cranidos already knows three normal type attacks. I thought something more specifically typed might be a good idea."

"Well, Cranidos is a rock type, so I'd say it'd be a good bet for you to teach the little guy how to use a rock type move," Toby scanned the page once again. "Eh, I know, how about rock tomb? That's a very powerful one, and it's a rock type attack! Cranidos' battle strength will increase tenfold if I teach him an attack like that."

"That sounds good to me," Brandon smiled before looking down at Cranidos. "What do you think, buddy?"

"Dos," Cranidos nodded.

"Good, good!" Toby slammed the binder shut, alarming Brandon and Cranidos. "Now, I usually ask for payment for these services, but I won't do that for you, no no."

"Wow, thanks so much!" Brandon's face lit up.

"No, instead I believe I need some help with some errands and I believe you're just the trainer to help!" Toby exclaimed.

"Oh, boy," Brandon withered at this. And to think just moments ago he believed he would be getting off easy!

**XXX**

On the other side of Celadon City, Clarisse was leading Aiden to where Eusine's house was located. She had been prattling on the whole time about how amazing of a person Eusine was, but Aiden was hardly listening. He was still debating in his head whether or not to tell Clarisse about his father. The young girl had no idea he and Michelle were the children of the Pokémon Master, and usually, Aiden preferred it that way. But what if Clarisse found out later on and accused Aiden of lying?

He didn't want that.

While continuing to mentally grapple with such a gravid decision, Aiden was shocked out of his stupor when Clarisse grabbed his arm and unleashed a high pitched squeal.

"Aiden, we're here!"

The boy looked up and found that they were standing in front of a giant condominium that blended in quite well with the other buildings in the city. It was tall and square shaped, with many windows running around it.

"Eusine lives in an apartment?" Aiden asked, obviously not expecting such a development.

"Yes, but he lives up in the _penthouse_ of the condo," Clarisse giggled. "It's amazing! Just wait until you see it."

The young blonde led Aiden through the sliding glass doors of the condo complex which brought them into the lobby. It was bedecked in gold and white, with tall windows, hanging chandeliers, and a marble topped concierge desk.

"Whoa, this place is amazing," Aiden breathed.

"My home is nice, isn't it?" Clarisse's eyes shimmered.

At this, Aiden's head whipped right around. "Wait…you live here, too?"

"Yeah, my Mom, Dad, and I live on the fifth floor," Clarisse nodded. "That's why I know Eusine so well! Whenever I wanted to go visit him, I just had to leave my room and take the elevator up to the tenth floor! Come on."

Clarisse skipped over to the elevator and pressed the up button. Aiden stood behind her, still glancing around the elaborate lobby of the complex. With a definitive _ping, _the golden doors of the elevator separated, revealing the empty inside of the lift.

"Up we go," Clarisse stepped inside, with Aiden still following. Once they were both in, the doors closed, leading Clarisse to press the '10' button on the mirrored panel. It lit up yellow, illuminating back by the mirrored walls of the elevator's interior. Aiden looked down at the floor, covered by plush white carpeting. Beneath the mirrors, the lower half of the walls were adorned by gold sheets, embossed with intricate patterns and designs.

"I can't believe you live here," Aiden murmured.

"It's a nice place, but I just think of it as my home," Clarisse shrugged. "I've lived here my entire life, so I don't know anything else. This place has a lot of great memories for me. I got my Espeon here, you know."

"Really?" Aiden blinked.

"There's a man who lives on the fourth floor, right below my family," Clarisse explained. "His family owns a Pokémon breeding center and runs it as a family business in the city. So, for my ninth birthday, he gave me an Eevee as a gift. He told me to raise Eevee and build a bond with her before I started my journey in a year. So, I did. Eevee and I became best friends during that year, and on the very first day of my Pokémon journey, she evolved into Espeon!"

"That's awesome," Aiden's eyes widened. "Eevee evolves into Espeon during the day when it has high friendship with its trainer, right?"

"Uh huh," Clarisse nodded. "And it makes sense, because Espeon and I are the best of friends!"

"My sister just caught an Eevee, you know," Aiden smiled at the girl.

"Really?" Clarisse asked as the elevator doors opened, indicating that they had reached the tenth floor.

"Yeah, like a day ago, right before we got into Celadon," Aiden nodded while following Clarisse out of the elevator. "I think she might use him in the Contest."

"I can't wait to see what they can do," Clarisse giggled. There were only three doors in the white hallway, each one painted a crystal blue. Hanging between the doors, and all along the otherwise bare walls of the hallway, were large, silver picture frames, each one housing a painting of a different legendary Pokémon. Clarisse approached the middle door, which was adorned by four silver numbers: 1001. She pressed the doorbell that was imbedded into the doorframe and surrounded by a silver plate, waiting intently while the sound that was similar to that of a soothe bell rang through the empty air.

Aiden was busy studying a painting of the mysterious Suicune, apparently Eusine's favorite legendary, when the door opened.

"Ah, Clarisse. What a pleasant surprise."

"Hi, Eusine!" Clarisse chimed. "I'm home for a Contest in the city, so I thought I'd drop by to say hi! I brought a friend with me."

Aiden knew this was his cue. He stepped away from the painting and moved closer to Clarisse so he could get a good look at the man known as Eusine. He was tall and slender, with slicked back, dark blonde hair, save for one long section in the front that fell in front of his forehead. His eyes were crystal blue, a perfect match for the three doors that lined his hallway. Eusine's most interesting aspect was his choice of clothing: a bright purple suit with lighter purple diamonds on the vest jacket, a ruffled white dress shirt beneath that jacket with white gloves covering his hands and white loafers on his feet. As Aiden stared at the man, Eusine's blue eyes locked themselves on Aiden and stayed there for quite a while. Aiden could feel a jolt go through his body; it was obvious just from the gaze he was being given that Eusine felt as though he'd met Aiden before.

"Uh…nice to meet you…" Aiden offered weakly.

"Likewise," Eusine gave a small nod. "Please, come inside. We can chat more in my living room."

The legendary expert stepped away from the door and allowed both Clarisse and Aiden to enter his apartment. As soon as Aiden saw the inside, he gasped audibly. He had never seen such an amazing space before, and had certainly not expected it from an apartment.

The living room, which was the immediate room of the condo, was spacious and wide open. Three large, white couches formed an open sided square in the middle of the room, with a large glass coffee table set in the center. Hanging above that setting, from the ceiling, was an enormous crystal chandelier. The walls were a pure white, while the light oak, hardwood floor shined in the early afternoon sunlight that was pouring in from the pure glass wall that stood at the far end of the room. There was even a portion of it that was sliding; serving as a door to get to the white bordered patio that overlooked the city. A large, crystal blue rug was situated beneath the couches and coffee table, bordered by an intricate silver design that reminded Aiden of icicles. A big, flat screen television hung from the far left wall so it could be viewed from the couches. Beneath it were a set of white drawers with silver knobs, various sculptures made of crystal adorning the countertop. Right before the side of the television was a straight staircase, leading up to an overhang that was visible from just standing in the room. Both the railing of the staircase and the overhang were made of shining silver, while the stairs were painted white to match the walls. The overhang seemed to serve as a miniature library: it was lined by bookshelves, with not a single empty space visible. Every shelf was crammed with books of varying size and thickness.

"You've been doing exceptionally well in all of your Contests, Clarisse," Eusine commented to the girl as he closed the main door to his apartment. "I sometimes happen to catch them on television. You and your Pokémon are truly connected."

"Thanks!" Clarisse beamed. "I've been training really hard with them. They're all so great! They work hard and want to win just as much as I do. But…I take our friendship first, before the winning."

"Just as it should be," Eusine nodded before turning his focus back onto Aiden. "And you, my boy…what is your name?"

"Aiden…" He replied, not wanting to use his last name. When the small spark lit in Eusine's eyes, however, Aiden knew that it wasn't even necessary.

"You're the Pokémon Master's boy," Eusine noted. "Ash."

Clarisse gasped and turned her head, giving Aiden an incredulous stare. "Aiden…your Dad is the Pokémon Master?"

Pressing his lips together, Aiden slowly nodded before replying, "yeah…he's my Dad."

**XXX**

"Okay, Pichu. It's time to get serious. We need to discuss the Contest."

"Chu," Pichu nodded, although she didn't exactly care at the moment. Michelle had treated the little thing to her first ice cream cone, and Pichu was now transfixed by the frosty treat. It was all she cared about at the moment.

"It's a Super Contest, and I've got to figure out who I'm going to use," Michelle continued. "You can only use one Pokémon for the entire Contest."

"Pi."

"I don't think you're ready for another full Contest, are you?" Michelle shook her head. "That first Contest was rough, huh?"

"Pi-chu."

"Ponyta did great in the battle round two Contests ago, but Butterfree was just as good last time around," Michelle continued to ramble on, mostly to herself. "Perhaps I should give Eevee a go. He's my newest Pokémon, after all, and the Celadon Contest is really amazing. Maybe this is the perfect chance for Eevee to make his debut!"

"Pi," Pichu shrugged, still lapping at the ice cream.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'll do!" Michelle nodded, taking out Eevee's poke ball and rolling it around in her hands. "I'll use Eevee! And he'll just shine on stage! I'm sure of it."

"Pi," Pichu repeated, still licking at the ice cream cone.

**XXX**

Brandon, on the other hand, was finally finishing up on running his errands for Toby.

He had already went to the fruit stands and purchased the things Toby had asked for, scrubbed the floors of his house, and made sure the man's loyal Simipour had been fed.

"Am I done yet?" Brandon couldn't help but to ask as he slumped down to the floor.

"Cran…" Cranidos agreed, sinking down next to his trainer. He had helped the boy out with all of his chores, after all.

"Almost, but not just yet!" Toby grinned. At this, Brandon moaned and nearly fell on his face. "Don't be so down, eh? You're nearly there! The next, and final, task I have for you should be a fun one! You like battling, yeah?"

Sitting back up, Brandon gave a single nod and replied, "it's fun. I may not be a gym trainer, or a coordinator, but I still like battling. What about you, Cranidos?"

"Crani-dos!" The head butt Pokémon nodded.

"Excellent!" Toby beamed. "You just follow me now. I'll take you right to it, and then you'll be all done!" Looking over his shoulder, the man whistled and called, "come on now, Simipour. We gotta' take the boy and his Pokémon to the creature!"

"Simi," the water monkey nodded, running up to be at Toby's side.

The short man and Simipour led both Brandon and Cranidos out the back door of the house, and through the heavily forested surroundings. Brandon mentally noted that it was drastically different from the rest of the city. But then again, Toby's house really was at city limits. It was more in the forest than the actual city.

After a short walk, Toby stopped by a thicket of bushes. Brandon peered over the man, but didn't see anything suspicious around. Everything seemed pretty quiet and innocent. Turning around, Toby shot Brandon a determined and serious look, which caused Brandon to shriek and stumble backwards slightly.

"Brandon, I need you to rid my backyard of the mysterious creature, yeah?" Toby furrowed his brow.

"Uh…mysterious creature?" Brandon blinked.

"It lives right there in those bushes," Toby pointed at the plants. "Scares the pants off of me, too!"

"Pour! Sim-sim!" Simipour certainly seemed to agree.

"Do you have any idea what kind of creature it is?" Brandon placed his hands on his hips.

"Not a clue, but I know it's bugging me!" Toby shook his head. "You gotta' get it out of here, and I'm sure it won't go down without a fight! So, what do you say? Can you clear it out?"

"Once I do, you'll teach Cranidos rock tomb?" Brandon questioned.

"Yep I will," Toby nodded this time.

"Then I'll take care of this creature for you," Brandon shrugged. He really didn't see much else of a choice for himself.

"Atta boy! You're the best helper I ever have had, Brandon!" Toby complimented the boy.

"Thanks," Brandon chuckled nervously.

"You two get to work now," Toby started to head back towards the house, Simipour once again following dutifully along. "Once you shoo that beast, you can come right back in and I'll get to work on teaching the move!"

"Right!" Brandon banged a fist against his chest before turning back to the bushes. As soon as Toby had disappeared, the thick plants began to shake, causing Cranidos to gasp nervously, and Brandon to lean forward in interest. "Here it comes, Cranidos. Get ready…"

"Cran…"

**XXX**

Clarisse was staring at Aiden with wide, shocked amber eyes. He felt the stare on himself, and finally decided to glance back up at the pretty young coordinator. The color of her eyes _really _stood out when she made them wide like that. They reminded Aiden of caramel. He liked caramel.

"You didn't know that?" Aiden asked, completely ignoring his thoughts.

"No!" Clarisse cried.

"But they announced Michelle's last name at the Contest you both competed in!" Aiden was highly confused.

"I didn't hear it; I was just getting off stage!" Clarisse was obviously stunned. "You can't hear _anything _the announcer says in that hallway! It just sounds all muffled and weird!"

Frowning, Aiden grew somewhat timid as he asked in a mumbled voice, "you're mad at me now, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Clarisse blinked.

"You probably think I lied to you," Aiden explained. "But I didn't! I'm proud of my Dad's title…I want to be him one day, in fact. But I don't want people to give me special treatment just because I'm his kid. I want to reach my goal just like everyone else: by working and training hard. People have tried just handing me things before, or being friends with me _just _because of who my Dad is. But that's not how I want to live. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier…I just want to be liked for who I am, and given a fair, regular shot. No freebies."

Clarisse smiled sympathetically at the suddenly bashful boy. "I'm not mad at you, Aiden. In fact, I think that's very noble of you."

"You do?" Aiden was surprised.

"Yeah!" Clarisse giggled softly. "I'm really glad you don't want things just handed to you. I think I'd be mad at you if you _did _want that! But you want to do it on your own. That's great!"

"Thanks…" Aiden smiled and blushed gently, although he could hardly feel it.

"Clarisse is right, Aiden," Eusine gave a small nod in conferment with the young blonde girl. "It's highly respectable of you to want to form your own destiny, and to pave your own path. I see many aspects of your father within you. You are a good young man."

Aiden didn't know what else to say in response. He really wasn't used to so much praise being showered upon himself…in fact, he wasn't used to much praise at all. Usually, Aiden just got scolded for doing something wrong.

"So, Eusine, have you been on the trail of any legendary Pokémon lately?" Clarisse asked excitedly, saving Aiden from any further embarrassment.

"No, I've had…_other_ matters on my hands recently," Eusine frowned.

"Like what?" Clarisse blinked.

Striding towards the large window wall in the back of his apartment, Eusine began very slowly, "there's been rumors circulating that Team Rocket has been working underground the city. Apparently, their hideout is somewhere beneath the city, but no one is sure where. So I've been hard at working trying to figure out where it's located."

"Do you know for sure that Team Rocket's hideout is in Celadon?" Aiden followed after Eusine.

"Nothing is positive, but I've got a strong feeling that it is," Eusine closed his eyes in deep thought. "For years, Team Rocket has been up to no good, wreaking havoc throughout the entire region of Kanto and abroad. It would come of no surprise to me that they have set up operations in Kanto's largest and busiest city."

"Wouldn't someone catch them, then?" Aiden seemed rather exasperated. "I mean, there's people _everywhere!_"

"Celadon is a very busy place, Aiden," Eusine sighed. "And they wouldn't come up from the underground very often. Not enough to be caught by anyone. They are a sneaky group of villains. They know how to get away with the most evil of tactics."

"You got that right…" Aiden muttered, thinking back to their last encounter with the group of baddies. They had tried to kidnap his sister, after all.

"So how do you plan on actually finding out if the hideout is truly located underground Celadon City?" Clarisse continued.

"I'll have no choice but to venture underground myself," Eusine replied. "I've pieced together the many rumors I've heard, and I'm beginning to get a solid idea as to where it could be located. I'll have to play it safe, of course, and keep the operation quiet. But if my feelings are correct, I will find Team Rocket's lair."

"And then what?" Aiden inquired.

"I must stop them from continuing their vile plans," Eusine finally opened his eyes again, revealing the pair of determined and glimmering crystal blue orbs.

"I want to help," Aiden spoke up, his own eyes looking just as determined, but more so innocent.

"I'm afraid this is much too dangerous of a mission for the two of you," Eusine cast his glance between Aiden and Clarisse. "Besides, I'm not undertaking the quest today. It will happen over the next few days. I need time to plan everything out."

"And what will you do if you find them?" Clarisse asked softly. She had never run into Team Rocket before, and had no idea what kind of evil they were capable of.

Growling quietly, Eusine stared dead ahead of himself and muttered, "I will bring them to justice."

**XXX**

"Hey, Brandon!"

The exhausted but happy breeder looked up and smiled when he saw the red headed girl running towards him, waving her hand high up in the air.

"Hey there, Michelle!" Brandon greeted her right back. "How was your day shopping?"

"Awesome!" Michelle squealed, reaching into her backpack and pulling out the seals she had purchased. "I bought these for my next few Contests! Aren't they pretty? They're brand new! I even got Pichu to try her first ice cream cone, _and _I decided who I'm going to use in the Contest!"

"That's great!" Brandon beamed.

"How was your trip to the move tutor?" Michelle inquired.

"Pretty good, except for all the chores he made me do," Brandon chuckled nervously. "But it wasn't so bad. Cranidos got a new move out of it!"

"Really?" Michelle's eyes winded. "Which one?"

"We'll just have to show you!" Brandon ushered Cranidos forward. The two young trainers had met up in Celadon Park, a large open space covered by grass that would be perfect for Cranidos to showcase his new move. "Alright, buddy, let's show Michelle what Toby taught you!"

The head butt Pokémon got calm and focused all of his energy before jumping high up in the air and coming back down hard on his feet, hitting the ground and causing it to reverberate ever so slightly. As the ground shook slightly after Cranidos' landing, large rocks began to rise up from the ground in a circle formation across from the rock type Pokémon. Suddenly, all at once, they pulled towards one another, creating a tight, closed ring of rock before breaking off and disappearing completely.

"Whoa!" Michelle marveled, her eyes shining.

"Pi!" Pichu chimed in.

"Isn't it awesome?" Brandon smirked. "That's rock tomb! It's a rock type move, and totally perfect for Cranidos!"

"I agree!" Michelle giggled. "Great work, Cranidos!"

"Cran!" Cranidos smiled.

"Pi-chu!" Pichu leapt off of Michelle's shoulder and joined Cranidos on the ground, squeaking happily to the other Pokémon in conversation.

"Cranidos' new move isn't the only thing I got from the move tutor, though," Brandon continued.

"Really?" Michelle seemed surprised. "What else did you get?"

"I'll show you," Brandon pulled out a poke ball and tossed it in the air as he called, "come on out, little buddy!"

The sparkling blue light emerged from the sphere and took the shape of a winged creature. Once the light faded away, Brandon's newest addition became clear, scaring Michelle to some extent and causing her to back away.

"What's wrong, Michelle?" Brandon was confused as to why Michelle had suddenly become so timid.

"I-it's a Spearow," Michelle winced, thinking back to the day before she and her brother had started their journey.

"You're afraid of them too?" Brandon sighed, referring to Michelle's well known fear of bug types.

"I guess not," Michelle grumbled, "it just reminds me of when Aiden and I were being attacked by the flock of them, and Pichu saved us."

"Oh, is that all?" Brandon chuckled. "Well, you don't have to be afraid of _my _Spearow! He's nice! Isn't that right, bud?"

Spearow squawked and swooped down towards Brandon, landing on the boy's shoulder and perching himself there.

"Well, if you insist…" Michelle sighed before digging through her backpack to retrieve her sky blue poke dex. "Might as well see what the poke dex has to say about it…"

_Spearow, the tiny bird Pokémon. They are frail and unable to fly very high or for long distances. Spearow are easily angered and very protective of their territory._

"Yeah, I've already learned that," Michelle narrowed her eyes in aggravation.

"Spearow is a good Pokémon," Brandon continued. "Toby, the move tutor, thought this little guy was a monster. He had no idea it was just a tiny Spearow living in the bushes! Turns out this little one got left behind by his flock. He was confused and didn't know what else to do! Toby wanted me to battle the "creature" and get rid of it, but once I saw what was really going on, I took a different approach. Instead, I decided to make Spearow my own Pokémon to keep him out of trouble."

"That was awfully nice of you," Michelle smirked at the young breeder. "You really do take after your Uncle Brock, huh?"

"I'd certainly like to think so!" Brandon chuckled with a small blush growing on his cheeks.

"Hey, Brandon! Michelle!"

The two trainers looked up and found Aiden running towards them, looking much happier than he had in the morning when they had left him behind in favor of doing their own things around the city.

"Well, you look like you're in a good mood!" Brandon smirked.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun today!" Aiden nodded.

"What did you do?" Michelle asked.

"I ran into Clarisse! Well…I guess _she_ kind of ran into _me_. She found me sitting right in this park, polishing my poke balls."

"Clarisse is here?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"She's _from_ Celadon City!" Aiden nodded. "And she took me to meet Eusine, who's this guy who's really interested in legendary Pokémon. He met Dad once! And he told us about how he thinks Team Rocket is hiding underground, working on that evil plan we heard Magnus blabbering on about."

"Did Eusine know what the plan was?" Michelle pressed.

"No, he didn't say," Aiden chuckled nervously. "But I'm sure it's not good. I hope he finds 'em!"

"Me too," Michelle sighed, obviously thinking back to the last incident with them.

"Hey, Brand-o, you caught a new Pokémon?" Aiden pointed at Spearow.

"Yep! Spearow!" Brandon grinned.

"That's awesome!" Aiden grinned. "I guess we all had good days, huh?"

"Yeah, after _you_ gave us a really hard time about it," Michelle rolled her eyes.

"Hey, I won't give you a hard time anymore as long as I get to have my gym battle tomorrow!" Aiden smirked.

"Yeah yeah," Michelle waved a dismissive hand at her brother. "Whatever you say."

* * *

**Right. So this one was so hard to write because of the three seperate storylines. To be honest, I was only interested in writing Aiden's, and it's probably painfully obvious. But...whatever. Who cares about shopping and doing chores for some stranger when you're meeting legendary Pokemon trackers and learning about Team Rocket's hideout? Exactly.**

**It's also been hard to write the longer stories between starting my new college (I transferred, but I'm much happier at my new one!) and pledging to my sorority there. It's been busy busy busy! But I love writing and all of my lovely readers, so of course I'm not going to stop and give you lousy excuses :) It might just take a little while longer! But so far, the next chapter has been coming to me much easier than this one did.**

**So, I know it's been awhile, but it'd be very awesome of all of you to leave me a review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! I love hearing everyone's opinions ^^ Until next time, dear readers!**


	25. No Boys Allowed!

**SURPRISE! I know, I know, I missed updating on Sunday. But this chapter wasn't finished and I had just had my wisdom teeth taken out. So I wasn't really in the mood. But I JUST finished this chapter and I really like it, so I figured I'd give you all a little treat and update it now :3 I'm on spring break anyway, so I'm more inclined to update now anyway. Enjoy!**

**Last time: Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon split up to enjoy seperate parts of the spacious Celadon City. Michelle decides to go shopping with Pichu, while Brandon visits the move tutor to have Cranidos learn a new move. Aiden, however, meets up with Clarisse, who is not only in town for the Contest, but also LIVES in the city! She takes him to her apartment complex to meet a legendary Pokemon researcher known as Eusine, who apparently knows Aiden's father. This is when Clarisse learns that Aiden and Michelle are the children of the world famous Pokemon Master! She isn't overwhelmed, however, much to Aiden's delight. While in his penthouse, Aiden and Michelle learn from Eusine that Team Rockt might be running their headquarters beneath the city, and that he's hot on their trail. After meeting up with his sister and friend again, Aiden learns that Brandon has caught a new Pokemon: Spearow! Now, it's time for Aiden to have a gym battle at the Celadon gym...**

* * *

**Chapter 25: No Boys Allowed!**

"EVERYBODY WAKE UP!"

Brandon and Michelle both shrieked and shot up in their beds, looking around their dimly lit room in horror. Eventually, their eyes crossed paths and both sets caught sight of Aiden standing in the middle of the room, fully dressed for the day with his arms crossed against his chest and an angry scowl plastered on his face.

"Aiden, what's the big idea?!" Michelle growled.

"You and Brandon got to do what you wanted yesterday, so now it's my turn," Aiden replied indignantly. "I'm going to challenge the gym. _Now._"

"It's not like you had a miserable day yesterday," Brandon sniped, which was unusual when it came to him addressing his best friend, "you trounced around the city with your girlfriend!"

At this, Michelle snickered, and Aiden's face went beet red. "Clarisse is _not _my girlfriend! Get that through your thick skull, Brandon!"

"Sure, whatever you say, lover boy," Brandon muttered under his breath. Snarling, Aiden pounced for Brandon, tackling the young breeder and pinning him down to the bed while trying to punch him. "OW! Aiden, get off! Quit it!"

"Not until you quit being stupid!" Aiden bit.

Eventually, Brandon managed to get his hands on Aiden's shoulders and throw the young trainer off the bed and onto the floor with a very audible _thud. _Aiden whined and started to rub his backside while throwing Brandon a sad look. The other boy wasn't deterred, however, and instead stuck his tongue out at the younger boy.

"Aiden, for Arceus' sake, why do you need _us _to go to the gym with you?" Michelle rolled her eyes while Aiden was hauling himself off the floor. "You're a big boy. Go yourself!"

"No, because you know that Mom told us we're not supposed to go off in separate directions," Aiden narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, so _now_ you want to listen to Mom?" Michelle raised an eyebrow.

"If you don't come with me to the gym, then I'll tell Mom you ditched me yesterday to go shopping," Aiden effortlessly threatened.

Smacking her hands down on the bed, Michelle leaned forward and shouted, "Aiden, you're such a brat!"

"I don't care. I mean it."

Grabbing her pillow, Michelle chucked it at her brother and made direct contact with his head. With that accomplished, Michelle got out of bed and stomped her way over to the dresser, where she'd stored her day clothes for the duration of their visit. Before she knew it, Brandon was standing next to her, just as annoyed as the girl was.

"He's being a real pain, huh?" Brandon murmured.

"You have no idea," Michelle shook her head. "I hope he gets it."

**XXX**

After getting on Brandon and Michelle's nerves enough where the two actually got dressed, Aiden led them from the Pokémon Center to the Celadon Gym, where he was fully prepared to win his fourth gym badge.

"Once I get my hands on that badge, I'll be halfway to the Indigo League!" Aiden cheered.

"Yeah, you keep on dreaming," Michelle muttered.

"Pi-chu?" Pichu questioned.

"You know, you don't have to be such a pain, Shelly," Aiden sighed.

"I do when you wake me up before I'm done getting my beauty sleep!"

"You're right. I guess that's why you're so ugly."

"WHY YOU-"

"Alright, that's enough out of you two," Brandon sighed, holding back Michelle while she tried to claw at her brother. "Your fighting isn't going to get us anywhere, except for maybe the emergency room…"

Fortunately, the Celadon Gym wasn't hard to miss. It was a giant green house, with the roof designed to look like the top of a Gloom's head. Excitement overtaking him, Aiden ran up the stone steps of the building and began to pound on the glass door, yelling, "hey! I'm here for a gym battle! Open up!"

"Aiden, honestly!" Michelle's mouth was agape. She couldn't believe how _rude _her brother could be at times.

Brandon, while not fully surprised at Aiden's actions, had to also admit they were a little embarrassing. Upon further inspection, however, the slightly older boy also realized there was a sign hung up on the right side of the door; the one that Aiden wasn't banging on.

"Hey, Aiden, read that sign on the door!" Brandon called.

Stilling his fists, Aiden turned his head to read the hanging sign that Brandon had pointed out to him. Once the boy had finished scanning the signs words, a feeling of anger managed to replace the exuberance he had just been feeling.

"WHAT?!" Aiden cried in horror. "How could the gym leader not be here?!"

"Maybe because it's too early in the morning," Michelle yawned behind her hand.

"No way," Aiden turned around and stormed back down the stairs. "I know that's not the reason! I'm gonna' find the gym leader! Come on, guys. She's got to be somewhere in the city!"

"But that could be anywhere," Brandon frowned. "Celadon is huge!"

That worry seemed to fall on deaf ears, however. Aiden just continued his way down the sidewalk, and both Brandon and Michelle knew they wouldn't be able to stop him.

"Hey, Brandon, do you know anything about the Celadon City gym leader?" Michelle asked the breeder.

"Not that much, actually," Brandon twisted his mouth in deep thought. "My Dad never talks about him…or her."

"I feel like I've heard my Mom talk about them before, but nothing specific," Michelle closed her eyes as she tried to wrack her brain. "I also feel like my Mom doesn't like the gym leader here, for some reason. I almost always remember the words "Celadon gym" and "annoying" being used in the same sentence."

At this, Brandon chuckled. "That's very likely, I suppose."

A little ways down the street, Michelle was stopped in her tracks by a heavenly scent, which she assumed must have been floating out of a nearby shop. Looking up, Michelle realized that they were standing in front of a perfumery.

"Oh, look at this beautiful perfume store!" Michelle's eyes were sparkling. "I just _love_ perfume! I used to take my Mom's all the time as a little girl and spray it on myself."

"There's nothing better than the smell of a mom's perfume," Brandon agreed. "I wonder if they have any cologne in there?"

"Hey, guys!" Aiden snapped. "We're looking for the _gym leader, _remember? You guys had your fun yesterday!"

"Relax, Aiden, this will only take a minute," Michelle waved a hand at her brother. "Besides, it's _plenty _early. You will find the gym leader, I promise."

And with that, Michelle and Brandon made their way into the perfume shop. Aiden, however, was not about to live with this decision. Not one bit. He angrily puffed his chest out and pushed back the door of the store, a small bell chiming to alert the owner of a new customer.

"Ah, hello there!"

Standing in the center of the shop was a woman with a dark headdress, wearing a yellow kimono adorned by orange flowers and trim.

"Hi," Michelle greeted sweetly. "I could smell all of your perfume from outside. It smells wonderful!"

"How sweet of you to say such a thing!" The woman giggled. "So, may I assume you are a fan of perfume?"

"Of course, I think it's wonderful!" Michelle nodded.

"And what's your name?"

"My name is Michelle," the girl replied kindly.

Gasping, the woman covered her heart and stared at the young red head in shock. "I don't believe it! Michelle! You're the Pokémon Master's daughter!"

"Err, yeah…" Michelle blushed, obviously embarrassed by the obvious connection.

"Such a beautiful girl!" The woman clapped her hands together. "Well, I can't have you in my shop and not treat you to all of our marvelous samples! Come, sit down! I'll have my assistants shower you with only the finest in high end fragrance!"

"I don't see how I could turn up that offer!" Michelle giggled, following after the woman. "Thanks, Dad!"

"Wait! Excuse me, ma'am!" Brandon ran after the two females, leaving behind a stunned and angry Aiden. The kimono draped woman and Michelle both stopped and turned around, finding Brandon to be rushing over to them. "You wouldn't happen to have any cologne, would you? I'm sort of a scent buff, myself."

At this, Aiden rolled his eyes. It was times like these that he was almost embarrassed to call Brandon his best friend.

"Oh, it's always wonderful to meet a young man with such an interest in attar!" The woman beamed. "We happen to have the biggest selection of cologne in the entire Kanto region! If you just follow me, I can show you all of our different scents!"

And just like that, Michelle and Brandon were both totally distracted. They were immediately surrounded by three girls apiece, with Michelle marveling over all of the different perfumes, and Brandon simply ogling the women themselves. Aiden, however, was left standing by the door, and to be honest, he was pretty ticked off. His sister was being an incredible pain, and Brandon wasn't behaving any better! All he wanted was a gym battle, and asking them to help him look for the gym leader really hadn't been that big of a request, _especially _after they'd already ditched him the day before!

Needless to say, Aiden was at the end of his rope.

So, with all of his patience worn thin, the angry raven haired boy marched forward, glaring at his twin sister the entire time. Michelle didn't notice, however. She was too busy partaking in the different perfume samples she was being offered. Sure, Michelle never quite liked partaking in her father's fame, but at certain times, such as these, the girl figured it couldn't hurt to indulge just a little bit.

"And this is one of our newest creations," a tall blonde commented as she sprayed the scented liquid onto Michelle's slender wrist, "it's made from honeysuckle, mandarin, and white peach, and it's all tied together with the essence of Gloom!"

Michelle raised her wrist to her nose and took a sniff of the perfume. "Wow, this one smells amazing! What do you think, Pichu?" She lifted her hand so the baby Pokémon could also get a whiff of the stuff.

"Chu!" Pichu squeaked in agreement.

"How cute, even Pichu loves it!" A brunette, who was standing to the right of Michelle, giggled.

"Hey, Shelly, come on!" Aiden complained. "Don't you remember our mission?!"

"Aiden, not everything has to be about you," Michelle rolled her eyes for the second time that morning. "All I'm doing is smelling some of the perfume!"

"And that's a complete waste of time!" Aiden barked. "Perfume is only the dumbest thing in the whole world!"

At this, the women gathered around both Michelle and Brandon gasped in horror. Even the young trainers who were the objects of their affections looked rather insulted.

"What did you just say?!" The blonde who had just been spraying Michelle with perfume cried.

"You heard me, perfume is stupid!" Aiden bit. "It smells gross and is a complete waste of money! And girls only use it to turn guys into zombies! I would know, I've seen my Mom do it to my Dad like a hundred times!"

Before Aiden could do anything else, the woman in the headdress was right in his face, sending a shiver up the boy's spine. "Excuse me, young man, but you simply cannot stand around in my shop and insult the fine creation that is perfume!"

"Hey, I'm right!" Aiden argued. "My parents might not be here to prove it, but just look at him!" Aiden pointed a finger at Brandon. He was still seated with the three women surrounding him, practically drooling.

The woman giggled softly at Brandon before setting a glare back on Aiden. The boy didn't look at all apologetic, however, and this seemed to cement the woman's displeasure.

"Well, if you hate perfume that much, then I'm sure it won't hurt you to be banned from my shop!" The woman picked Aiden up by the collar of his shirt and dragged him towards the front door.

"Not exactly," Aiden huffed. "But I'd _really _appreciate it if you could ban those two also! I need them!"

"I'm sure you'll be just fine without them," the woman sniffed before tossing Aiden to the curb and slamming the door shut.

"Ouch," Aiden whined, sitting up and rubbing at his backside, which already hurt from falling on the floor of the Pokémon Center earlier. "Man!"

"You insulted the perfume, didn't you?"

Aiden looked behind him and found himself staring at a young girl with dark brown hair stretching midway down her back. Her bright green eyes were twinkling with mischievousness, and a backwards spring green baseball cap was pressed onto the top of her head.

"How did you know?" Aiden grumbled.

"Happens all the time," the girl answered nonchalantly. "I hope you weren't looking to battle at the Celadon Gym."

"I am," Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Snickering, the young brunette bent down and placed her hands on her knees so she could be at eye level with Aiden. "Because, the manager of the perfume shop is also the gym leader!"

"WHAT?!" Aiden jumped to his feet, which now made him taller than young girl. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"I don't joke around," the girl shook her head.

"_Fantastic_," Aiden muttered.

"You know, I don't usually offer to help people, but I think there's something different about you," the child smirked.

"So what, you're gonna' get me into the gym?" Aiden rolled his eyes.

"Of course."

This response took Aiden by surprise. "Wait…you can do that?"

"Sure I can! But you gotta' trust me. Do you?"

"I don't know," Aiden narrowed his eyes. "You're like…six years old. How can I be sure you know what you're doing?"

"I'm _eight, _genius!" The girl snapped. She managed to calm down before smiling sweetly at a disturbed Aiden and reassuring him, "I know what I'm doing. Believe me. I just can't make it work without your trust. So?"

Groaning, Aiden shook his head and decided, "Guess I don't have much of a choice. Fine, I trust you."

"Great!" The girl clapped her hands together before offering one to the raven haired trainer. "The name's Flora! Nice to meet ya'!"

"Aiden," the boy replied, shaking hands with the younger girl. "Same to you!"

**XXX**

"Remember when I said I trusted you?"

"Mmhm."

"Well…I don't."

Aiden was now glaring at his reflection in the mirror. Flora had dragged him to, of all places, her house, and brought him into her room. The young trainer was surprised by the lack of parents in the house, but he didn't want to start anything by asking questions.

As it would turn out, Flora's big idea materialized pretty quickly, and Aiden was less than thrilled to be taking part in it. He, for one, didn't see how it would help him to get into the gym. Not to mention it was completely demoralizing.

"You're _sure _this is going to work?" Aiden sighed.

"_Yes,_ for the hundredth time!" Flora groaned.

Aiden once again stared at his reflection in the floor length, white trimmed mirror. He had a long blonde wig on his head, the strands of which were loosely curled and uncomfortably framing his face. On his body was a short petticoat dress; a nauseating cotton candy pink in color. The matching bow tied into his wig didn't much help the unsettling feeling in his stomach, either. On his feet was a pair of white sandals that Flora had managed to find. They were both shocked the shoes even fit on Aiden's feet.

"It doesn't even look like me," Aiden complained.

"Yeah, that's the point," Flora bit.

"You know," Aiden narrowed his eyes at the young girl, "for a tomboy, you sure seem to have an awful lot of girly stuff."

Flora rolled her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest. "Blame my Mom."

"Huh?" Aiden blinked.

The young brunette sighed and made her way over to her white canopy bed, draped with pink lace curtains. She settled herself on the white comforter which was printed by light pink flowers and fairies and glared at the bedding before punching it with a small fist. Aiden could tell the girl was upset, and that wasn't something he liked to see. For some reason, this little girl reminded him of his baby sister. So, he too walked over to the bed and took a seat next to the child, waiting for her to explain.

"My Mom has always wanted me to be a girly girl," Flora explained. "From the time I was a baby, she was always dressing me in pink and buying me stuff that had little fairies on it. Like my stupid bed sheets."

Aiden glanced down at the comforter and examined print. It was definitely pretty heinous in his eyes. Then again, that was the kind of stuff that Elizabeth went gaga over.

"But I'm not a girly girl," Flora continued. "I never have been! I hate pink and I hate dresses." Motioning towards herself, Flora exclaimed, "this is one of my favorite outfits! I must wear it like…twice a week because I refuse to wear what my Mom buys me!"

This finally made Aiden notice the girl's outfit. It was a pair of denim overalls with the right strap hanging off of her shoulder, and a spring green short sleeved t-shirt that perfectly matched the hat on her head. In addition, the girl's footwear, a pair of dirt covered white sneakers, definitely didn't reflect the image of a girly girl.

"It's really bad, because she teaches an etiquette class," Flora furrowed her brow. "I'm one of her students, but I hate it. I'm always skipping class and getting in trouble. But I don't want to learn how to be a lady! Those stupid classes always make me miss practice!"

"Practice?" Aiden questioned.

"I want to be a baseball player," Flora nodded. She climbed fully onto the bed and stood up, jumping up and down and messing up the bed spread. "It's my dream to play for the Celadon Ivysaurs!"

"Well, that would explain the walls," Aiden scanned the bedroom. While the walls were painted a bright hibiscus pink, they were plastered with posters of various baseball players. "What position do you like to play?"

"Third base," Flora smiled. "Sometimes, I'll play catcher, but third base is my favorite!"

"Hey, that was my position, too!" Aiden beamed.

"Really?" Flora jumped back down and grinned at the boy. "You played baseball?"

"Sure! Back when I was a kid," Aiden nodded. "Well, I guess I'm still kind of a kid. But…I mean, I played when I was younger. One time, I told my Dad I wanted to be a professional baseball player instead of a Pokémon Master, and I think it disappointed him."

"That sounds like my life," Flora sulked.

"I changed my mind back after a few months," Aiden chuckled. "But…I think that even though my Dad was kinda' upset about it, he wouldn't have been mad if I hadn't changed my mind back."

"My Dad doesn't mind that I'm a tomboy," Flora sighed. "But he's almost never home. He's always away on trips for his job! He's a businessman, so he travels all the time."

"Just because you're a tomboy doesn't mean your mom doesn't love you, though," Aiden smiled sympathetically at the girl. "She'll always love you, no matter what!"

"Sometimes I'm not sure," Flora frowned, sinking back down onto the bed from her feet.

"Trust me, I would know better than anyone!" Aiden smiled. "Even though I didn't want to be what my Dad dreamed of me being, he still loved me. Our parents are supposed to love us for who we are! I'm sure your mom understands that."

"How do you know?" Flora narrowed her eyes.

"Because parents are really good at that kind of stuff," Aiden shrugged. "I don't know how, but they always know what to do. It's like they've got super powers or something!"

At this, Flora giggled. Aiden smiled; happy to see that he had succeeded in making the girl feel better. It couldn't have been fun, feeling that they you were continuously disappointing your mother just because of who you were.

"Come on," Aiden nudged gently, "let's go to that gym and get me a battle!"

"Sounds good to me!" Flora grinned at the boy currently disguised as a girl.

**XXX**

It was completely humiliating to walk around Celadon City dressed as a girl. None of these people knew there was actually a boy beneath all of that blonde hair, of course, but that didn't make Aiden feel any less awkward.

"I don't understand how girls wear these stupid things," Aiden tugged at the frilly skirt of his dress. "My legs are freezing!"

"I don't get it either," Flora scrunched her nose up.

She had soon led him back to the giant greenhouse that was the gym. Aiden was about to make his way back up the stairs, until Flora called out for him to stop.

"The gym leader won't be inside right now!" Flora warned.

"What do you mean?" Aiden spun around.

"At this time, she's in the garden," Flora explained. "We have to go back there."

"The garden?" Aiden questioned.

Flora led the disguised Aiden around to the back of the gym and peered behind the glass paneled green house. Aiden followed suit, and found what must have been the gym leader sitting at the head of a long table. She had the same face as the perfume manager from before, but was now missing the headpiece and kimono. Instead, her natural hair, which was blue and cut into a bob, was apparent, and she was outfitted in a fitted, dark green dress with a white apron layered over it.

"So, that's the gym leader, huh?" Aiden murmured.

"It might help you to know her name," Flora snickered.

"Oh…right," Aiden sweat dropped. "What's her name?"

"Erika," Flora replied simply.

At this, Aiden's eyes widened. He had _definitely _heard his mother say that name before. And usually, when he heard that name, it was his mother complaining to his father about the woman.

"Well, good luck, Aiden!"

The boy was shaken out of his trance by the feeling of a pat on his back. Looking over his shoulder, he found that it was Flora patting him, and after a few more touches, she started to walk away.

"Wait, you're just gonna' leave me all by myself?!" Aiden panicked.

"I have something I need to do," Flora shrugged. "Besides, I'm a kid. What does a _big kid_ like you need me for?"

"Moral support?!" Aiden was frantic.

"You're funny," Flora giggled. "Maybe I'll come watch your battle later! See ya!"

"Flora, get back here!" Aiden shouted as the small brunette made a dash for it. Unfortunately, the small girl was running far too quickly for an unprepared Aiden…especially when he was wearing a dress. Grumbling, the boy shook out his artificial, curly blonde locks and mumbled to himself, "oh well. Go time, I guess."

With one last deep breath, Aiden stepped into the garden and made his way towards Erika. As he got closer, the disguised boy realized that his sister and best friend were both seated by the gym leader's sides, watching her pour tea into several small tea cups.

Clearing his throat, Aiden piped up in a high pitched voice, "e-excuse me? But are you the gym leader?"

Erika looked up at what she thought was a female visitor and smiled sweetly. "Hello there! Yes, I am! Can I help you with something?"

"Oh, yes!" Aiden nodded. He hated using this stupid voice. "My name is Ai-I mean, my name is Adrianne, and I want to challenge you to a gym battle!"

"A gym battle, huh?" Erika giggled. "I would love to! But I'm a little busy at the moment, could we perhaps do it after my class?"

"Uh, class?" 'Adrianne' squeaked.

At that moment, two figures brushed by 'Adrianne's' legs, alarming the disguised boy. Looking down, he realized they were two young girls, both dressed up in kimonos. There was a blonde in a cherry blossom pink kimono, printed with darker pink butterflies, flowers, and edged in the same shade of pink. The brunette next to her was in a lilac kimono, adorned by violet dragonflies and flowers.

"Good morning, Cambry and Claudia," Erika smiled at the girls.

"Good morning, Miss Erika!" They both greeted simultaneously.

"Oh, they're so cute!" Michelle giggled. At this, Aiden turned his head away in order to roll his eyes.

"You two can both take a seat at the table," Erika motioned down the long slab of wood. "We'll begin our lesson shortly!"

Cambry and Claudia carefully made their way over to the table and took seats next to one another, on the right side of where Erika sat.

"Adrianne, perhaps you'd like to take part in our lesson today as well!" Erika suggested brightly.

Aiden had no idea what kind of lesson Erika was teaching, and he didn't really want to find out. But he had already made the gym leader mad once, and he wasn't about to do it again. Especially when Erika didn't even know it was him beneath the wig.

"Oh, I would love to," 'Adrianne' smiled weakly. The disguised boy made his way over to the table, trying to tide the blush that was fighting to form on his cheeks. Regardless, he managed to sit down on the left side of Cambry, noting that the two young girls were very close friends and refused to separate themselves from one another.

Erika seemed a little disappointed when she looked around the table, but never the less, she was able to put on a fake smile and continue, "now, aside from Adrianne, we have two very special guests with us for today's lesson! And they're two _real _Pokémon trainers!"

"Real Pokémon trainers?!" Cambry and Claudia chimed excitedly.

"Yes!" Erika giggled. "We have Brandon, who is a Pokémon breeder, and Michelle, who is a coordinator!"

"Oh, I want to be a coordinator!" Cambry beamed. "They're so lovely! I want to wear pretty dresses and show off how beautiful my Pokémon are!"

"Me too!" Claudia agreed.

"Being a coordinator is really fun," Michelle nodded. "I think you two would make great coordinators! If you keep your dreams, I'm sure you'll reach them one day!"

This prospect excited Cambry and Claudia very much. 'Adrianne,' however, was not as impressed. It was just his sister, after all. Why was _she _so inspirational?

"I'm sorry I'm late!"

Everyone at the table, including the disguised Aiden, looked over towards the entrance to Erika's garden. A third young girl, this one with very dark brown hair, had arrived for the class, and when Aiden saw who it was, he gasped.

It was Flora.

She had changed out of her baseball cap and overalls and into a dressier and more girly kimono, this one sky blue and printed with darker blue roses. Her hair, however, was still messy. It was very obvious she'd had that hat pulled over her head for quite some time.

"Flora, where have you been?" Erika frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry, I was exploring the city and I lost track of time," Flora gave an apologetic bow.

"Again?" Erika scowled.

"Yes," Flora was apologetic.

"I don't know what in the world I'm going to do with you," Erika shook her head before motioning towards the table they were all seated around. "But at least you're here now. Take a seat."

"Yes, Mom," Flora murmured, shuffling up next to the disguised Aiden and sitting on his left side.

The boy stared down at the little brunette girl in pure shock. Her mother…the one who didn't approve of her being a tomboy…the one who pushed her to be a little princess…was Erika.

_Well, _he thought acidly, _this situation couldn't get any worse._

"Now, as I already told Cambry and Claudia, we have three special guests for today's class," Erika repeated. "They are Michelle, Brandon, and Adrianne."

Trying not to snicker, Flora glanced up at the "girl" sitting next to her and mumbled, "Adrianne, huh?"

Before Aiden could retaliate, Erika scolded, "Flora, no mumbling! It isn't lady like!"

"Sorry," Flora sighed and gave another small bow, this time with just her head. It was obvious in her face, however, that she hated what she was doing.

"How rude," a squeaky voice quipped. Aiden and Flora both looked up, finding that the source of the jibe was none other than the little blonde girl in the pink kimono, Cambry. "You show up late, and then you act out!"

"That's not good etiquette," Claudia agreed, a strand of her light brown hair falling into her light blue eyes.

"Now now girls, let's all settle down and carry on with our lessons," Erika warned as she cast Flora a cautioning glance. She could tell that her daughter was prepared to attack the other girls, obviously not amused by their comments.

Bending "her" head down, "Adrianne" frowned and whispered to Flora, "What's up with those two?"

"I hate them," was Flora's quiet but seething reply. "They're snobby little brats who always get their way! And they think they're better than me just 'cause they're girly."

"Flora, no whispering at the table!" Erika scolded in an exasperated fashion.

"Sorry," Flora hissed, trying not to lose her temper.

From Michelle's shoulder, Pichu stared at "Adrianne" and curiously twitched her big ears. There seemed to be something familiar about the girl, but Pichu wasn't sure what it was. Hopping off of her trainer's shoulder, Pichu scurried over to "Adrianne" and jumped into the disguised boy's lap, pawing at the dress and sniffing all over. Flora glanced over curiously, raising a dark brown eyebrow as Pichu examined an obviously tense "Adrianne."

"Pichu, go away," Aiden whispered urgently, making sure to keep his voice low so none of the females at the table, or Brandon, would realize he was actually a boy.

"Pi-pichu!" Pichu squeaked happily.

"No, Pichu!" Aiden's hushed voice grew fiercer.

Growling angrily, Pichu thunder shocked "Adrianne" without any other warning, completely charring what everyone assumed to be a girl. His entire body was now doing an excellent job of representing a toasted marshmallow, and soon enough, the blonde wig on his head disintegrated into nothing more than a pile of dark, smoking ashes.

"AIDEN!" Michelle and Brandon cried.

"Yeah, it's me," Aiden grumbled, Pichu proudly hopping off of his lap to return to Michelle.

"You again…" Erika seethed. "You're the same boy who insulted the perfume before!"

"I didn't know you were the gym leader!" Aiden defended himself.

"That isn't a valid excuse!" Erika replied in a fiery manner. "Besides, where did you even get the idea to sneak back into my grounds? Where did you find that dress? It looks _awfully _familiar…"

Having heard enough, Flora let out a small cry before jumping to her feet and yelling, "It was me, Mom! _I _disguised Aiden so he could get back in here!"

"Flora, how could you?!" Erika sounded very disappointed in her daughter.

"I found him outside of the perfume shop, and all he wanted was a gym battle," Flora explained, her tone slowly becoming more timid, "so I decided to help him. Please don't be mad at me _or _him, Mom. Aiden is my friend."

"Your friend?" Erika repeated almost acidly.

"He's nice," Flora nodded. "He talked to me about stuff. Like…how when he was little, he changed his mind about what he wanted to be for a little while. His Dad got upset because he didn't want to be a Pokémon Master anymore, and-"

"A Pokémon Master?" Erika's eyes snapped open. She stared at Aiden for a few seconds before turning her attention onto Michelle, who was still glaring at the raven haired boy in the dress. "Aiden and Michelle…oh no…"

"What?" The two siblings chimed simultaneously.

"You two are Misty's children!" Erika gasped, covering her eyes with her hands in obvious anguish.

"Misty…that's Cerulean's gym leader!" Flora murmured in realization. "I know who she is! And I know…she's married to the Pokémon Master!" Gasping, she stared up at Aiden with eyes full of shock and shouted, "your _Dad _is the Pokémon Master?!"

"Yep," Aiden couldn't help but to smile at Flora's fascination. "Mine and Michelle's dad. Michelle is my twin sister."

"Whoa…" Flora looked over at Michelle, who was now blushing and looked slightly less angry.

"If I don't give you a gym battle, Misty will never let me hear the end of it," Erika muttered, mostly to herself. Grimacing, she looked up and gave Aiden a determined look, which he whole heartedly returned. "Fine. I'll battle you. But it'll have to wait until _after _my class. And it's not going to be easy."

"I don't want it to be," Aiden replied easily. Sighing, Erika shook her head and finally smirked, much to Aiden's confusion. "What?"

"You know, I don't know what it is with you Ketchum boys," Erika chuckled earnestly. "You _all _have to go to such great lengths to battle me. And for some reason, they all involve a dress…"

Aiden just blinked. He had absolutely no idea what the woman was talking about. His father had never told him anything about his own battle at the Celadon City gym.

Obviously, Aiden was going to have some questions for his father the next time they spoke.

* * *

**Like father, like son :P I absolutely HAD to parallel Ash's experience with Erika. I had to. It helps when, in my 'verse, Misty and Erika have some serious tension between them. So, yeah, Ashley and Adrianne. Delia and Misty must be so proud ;)**

**The battle will commence next time, since it's Aiden's first three-on-three. And we're in for quite a ride! Until then, leave a review and bring a smile to my still pained face? Pretty please? :) **


	26. Flower Power versus Fire, Water, Dark!

**SURPRISE! I bet you all thought I had given up, ha. Well, I would never give up on this story! I'm much too proud of it, and I know I have a lot of loyal readers who have been patiently waiting for this update. Well, school got in the way, a lot, because I did transfer and became more involved in school. But I ended up with a higher GPA than I had last semester, so I obviously did SOMETHING right! Now that it's the summer, however, I can put focus back on this story and providing all of you with more timely updates! So, enough out of my mouth, enjoy the newest chapter of A New Era!**

**LAST TIME: Aiden, demanding a gym battle at the Celadon Gym, ended up being banned from the gym due to insulting the leader's perfume. One problem: he didn't realize it was the gym leader! With the help of a young girl, who turned out to be gym leader Erika's daughter Flora, Aiden manages to sneak back into the gym (as a girl, no less) and earn enough respect from Erika for a gym battle!**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Flower Power versus Fire, Water, and Dark!**

Aiden and Erika were staring each other down from opposite ends of the battle field. On the benches on Aiden's left side sat Brandon, Michelle, and Flora, each one patiently waiting for the battle begin. Pichu was still perched on Michelle's shoulder, while Riolu was sitting in front of her feet. Aiden had given the emanation Pokémon to his sister, wanting his newest Pokémon to watch over the battle and learn some things. Aiden still felt that Riolu wasn't ready for a gym battle yet.

The same blonde woman from the perfume shop, who was obviously Erika's assistant, was working as the referee for the match.

"This battle between the gym leader, Erika, and the challenger, Aiden Ketchum, is about to get underway!" The blonde called. "The battle will be a three on three, and only the challenger is allowed to change Pokémon. Whoever knocks out all three Pokémon first wins the match! Now, reveal your Pokémon!"

"I'll go first," Erika smirked at Aiden, who growled in response. Revealing a poke ball, Erika tossed it in the air and called, "Tangrowth, let's go!"

Appearing before Erika was a large, almost monstrous Pokémon made of dark blue vines. It had a pair of small, stubby feet and long arms that hung all the way to the floor. Peering out of the mess of vines were a pair of wide, saucer like eyes, which Aiden felt were staring right through him.

"Tangrowth, huh?" Aiden murmured, pulling out his poke dex to scan the creature.

_Tangrowth, the vine Pokémon. It can trap its opponents with its vines and disable them. Tangrowth are unintelligent and slow, but very friendly in nature._

"Tangrowth is a grass type," Aiden murmured before smiling. "Perfect."

He pulled it his own poke ball and chucked it, yelling, "Growlithe! I choose you!"

The puppy Pokémon materialized before his trainer, letting out a small yip as he allowed his fluffy, cream colored tail to wag back and forth.

"Aw, Growlithe is cute!" Flora giggled. She had also changed out of her kimono, and back into her far more comfortable t-shirt and overalls.

"He's excited because he gets to battle," Michelle remarked. "That little fire type just loves getting on the field!"

"Plus, he's a fire type," Brandon added knowledgeably. "Which means that Growlithe has the advantage over Tangrowth."

"You can have the first move, Aiden!" Erika called from the opposite end of the battle field, her slender arms still crossed against her chest. There was a devious little smirk plastered on her face, but Aiden wasn't about to let that get to him.

"Thanks," he muttered, not exactly understanding why Erika would allow his fire type to strike first.

"Alright, let the battle begin!" The blonde assistant yelled from the side of the field.

Throwing his arm out in front of himself, Aiden yelled, "Growlithe, take care of Tangrowth right away! Ember, now!"

The happy fire type's mood quickly changed into one of fiery determination. He charged forward on his paws, firing off a series of small flames at the grass type standing a fair distance away.

"Dodge that, Tangrowth," Erika ordered calmly.

The vine Pokémon tried its hardest to move out of the way on its stubby little feet, but it didn't get very far before it fell over itself and landed on the ground.

"Tangrowth!" Erika gasped.

"Perfect!" Aiden cheered as Growlithe skidded to a halt. "Don't let up now, Growlithe! Bite!"

Barking, the puppy Pokémon began to run again, baring his sharp fangs as Tangrowth slowly got back up to its stubby feet.

"I won't make the same mistake twice," Erika vowed aloud. "Tangrowth, use vine whip and stop Growlithe in his tracks!"

Two of Tangrowth's dark blue vines stretched from its body and wrapped around Growlithe's midsection, pulling the surprised fire type up in the air and hanging him over the center circle.

"Don't let that stop you, Growlithe," Aiden growled. "Bite!"

Growlithe leaned his head down and sunk the sharp edges of his teeth into one of the dark blue vines that was currently constricting him. Tangrowth cried out in pain as it withdrew its vines, sending Growlithe tumbling towards the ground.

"Land on your feet!" Aiden panicked.

In midair, Growlithe managed to turn himself around so he was falling paws first, leading him to land safely on the pads of his paws and leaving the Pokémon uninjured.

"Erika's not looking too good right now," Brandon remarked.

"My Mom usually doesn't start off so shaky," Flora added, a frown gracing her young face.

"We can't keep making these mistakes," Erika muttered to herself before staring down Aiden. "Tangrowth, ancient power!"

Tangrowth raised its long arms and formed a large silver ball between its slender fingers, throwing it towards Growlithe. This time, the attack made contact with the fire type and sent him skidding across the battle field.

"Growlithe, are you okay?" Aiden called. The puppy Pokémon shook out his orange fur and yelped to confirm that he was, in fact, just fine. "Great. Try bite again!"

The fire type charged towards Tangrowth, who was of course too slow to move out of the way. As soon as Growlithe opened his mouth to use the attack, however, red-orange flames surrounded the Pokémon's mouth before he bit down, causing Tangrowth to cry out in serious pain.

"Tangrowth!" Erika gasped.

"Whoa, what was that?!" Aiden marveled.

"Fire fang!" Brandon answered, causing Aiden to look over his shoulder at the young breeder. "That's amazing!"

"But Growlithe never knew _that _move before…" Aiden murmured before beaming at his fire type. "Growlithe, you learned fire fang! Awesome!"

"Growl!" Growlithe barked, landing back on his paws.

Tangrowth, who had experienced Growlithe's brand new attack first hand, was really suffering from the blow. The bulky Pokémon was swaying back and forth, blabbering incoherently to itself as it struggled to keep its balance.

"Tangrowth, stay strong!" Erika called.

It was too late for the grass type, however. The vine Pokémon ended up tumbling down do the ground, landing with a very audible _thud _onto the hard, dusty ground. Erika gasped, while Aiden hooted triumphantly at his successful knockout.

"Tangrowth is unable to battle!" The blonde assistant called. "This round goes to Growlithe!"

"Good boy, Growlithe!" Aiden complimented his Pokémon, causing the puppy to bark gratefully in response.

"Tangrowth, return," Erika sighed, recalling the unconscious grass type to its poke ball before bringing it up to her face. "You did well, my friend."

"I think my Mom is rattled," Flora commented.

"What do you mean?" Michelle asked the younger girl.

"Well, she seems kinda' nervous to me," Flora replied. "And my Mom doesn't get nervous easily! Maybe she can tell that Aiden is a really good trainer."

_That was embarrassing, I'm losing my head! _Erika seethed internally to herself. _I can't lose my focus. Just because this is Misty's son doesn't mean I can't beat him. I will. I just need to concentrate._

"Alright then, Aiden, how about you try this one on for size!" Erika yelled, retrieving a second poke ball and tossing it in the air. The shot of blue light that came out of the red and white sphere materialized into a four legged, tan furred creature with leaf like ears and big, brown eyes.

"Is that…" Aiden trailed off, sucking in his breath and holding it in his chest.

"Awesome, it's Leafeon!" Flora cheered.

"Leafeon?" Michelle murmured, pulling out her pokedex to scan the creature.

_Leafeon, the verdant Pokémon, and an evolved form of Eevee. Leafeon obtains its food through photosynthesis, like a plant. They also clean and purify the air around them if it is dirty or polluted._

"Cool, it's like a living plant!" Michelle giggled. "Well, plants technically _are_ living creatures. But Leafeon is like a...moving _and_ living plant!"

"My Leafeon is very strong," Erika informed Aiden. "I wouldn't go about thinking that Growlithe's fire type attacks are going to get you out of this one!"

"I'll take my chances," Aiden replied with a smirk.

"Begin!" The match's referee shouted.

"Get right in there, Growlithe!" Aiden shouted. "Fire fang!"

"Dodge that!" Erika ordered.

As Growlithe got closer to Leafeon, with flames fanning out of his mouth, the grass type eeveeloution moved gracefully out of the way, barely batting an eye as it avoided the attack.

"What?!" Aiden gasped.

"Surprised?" Erika laughed. "Leafeon is much faster than Tangrowth. This time, I can actually rely on speed!"

"In that case…use ember!" Aiden called out to Growlithe. The puppy Pokémon spit out the tiny bits of fire, but this didn't seem to deter Erika.

"Leafeon, use quick attack to dodge, then use magical leaf!"

Effortlessly, Leafeon jumped over every single piece of fire and threw its head forward, glowing light green leaves emerging from the tips of its ears and colliding with Growlithe, creating a decent sized explosion around the fire type.

"Growlithe?!" Aiden cried. Once the dust settled, Growlithe's body became visible again, but this time it was lying crumpled on the battlefield, the fire type unmoving and clearly in no shape to continue battling.

"Growlithe is unable to battle, which means the winner is Leafeon!" The blonde yelled.

"Excellent work, Leafeon," Erika complimented her Pokémon.

Sighing, Aiden returned Growlithe to the sanctuary of his sphere and smiled down at it. "You did great, Growlithe. You deserve a nice, long rest."

"Who's Aiden gonna' use now?" Michelle wondered aloud.

"Well, since Riolu isn't in his rotation, he's only got two choices left," Brandon mused. "And Squirtle is weak against grass types…"

"Alright, Absol, I choose you!" Aiden shouted.

The disaster Pokémon appeared before his trainer, staring across at Leafeon with narrowed eyes. The grass type didn't quite seem affected, simply staring back without much emotion.

"We've gotta strike first, Absol!" Aiden yelled. "Night slash!"

Absol took one long stride forward, slashing Leafeon with his crimson hued claws before the grass type could even react. Shaking off the attack, Leafeon straightened itself out and finally gave Absol a glare.

"Good, Leafeon," Erika murmured. "Giga drain!"

The green leafed tips of Leafeon's ears began to glow a bright green before firing off at a confused Absol and forming a circle around him, closing in and engulfing the dark type in a green glow as he cried out in pain.

"Absol!" Aiden gasped.

"Giga drain absorbs the opponent's energy and gives it to the attacking Pokémon," Brandon muttered. "Absol is in trouble."

Once the green glow disappeared from Absol's body, the disaster Pokémon began panting and leaned down on his forelegs, trying to catch his breath.

"You'll be fine, Absol," Aiden tried to convince his Pokémon. "Use quick attack!"

"You use quick attack too, Lefaeon!" Erika ordered.

The two Pokémon ran straight for one another, streaks of white appearing behind them as they dashed. Absol had the advantage, however. He weighed twice as much as Leafeon, and as soon as their bodies collided at full speed, Leafeon was knocked all the way back towards its trainer, skidding through the dirt and wincing at the severe pain.

"Oh no, Lefaeon!" Erika gasped.

The grass type eeveeloution struggled to pick its head up, and after only a few seconds of attempt, allowed it to fall back down onto the ground as its eyes squeezed shut.

"Leafeon is unable to battle…Absol is the winner!"

"Yes, way to go, Absol!" Aiden cheered.

Erika sighed and took Leafeon's poke ball into her hand, returning the defeated grass type to the safety of its red and white sphere.

"You did well, Leafeon," Erika murmured, "take a long rest." She looked back up at Aiden and scowled, trying to figure out how the boy was managing to beat her again and again. She knew that if she wanted to beat him, she was going to have to pull out her secret weapon.

"Uh oh," Flora murmured, much to Brandon and Michelle's confusion.

"What is it, Flora?" Michelle asked curiously.

"My Mom is going to use her favorite Pokémon," Flora replied, "and it's her strongest one, too!"

Giggling, Erika held the last poke ball in front of her face and eyed Aiden over the red top of the sphere, which sent a nervous shiver up the spine of the young boy standing across from him.

"You may have taken out my Tangrowth and Lefaeon, Aiden," Erika drawled, "but I've saved my best and most reliable Pokémon for last. And now, you're going to meet my little partner! Let's go, dear friend!"

She tossed the ball forward and it burst open, releasing a ray of sparkling blue light that formed a ball and then evened out into a more noticeable shape that burst into nothing more than white sparkles, revealing a Pokémon that Aiden had not at all been expecting based on Erika's words.

"A…A Gloom?" Aiden questioned aloud.

Michelle and Brandon seemed just as bewildered, but Flora wasn't. Not at all. She knew full well that Gloom was her mother's partner Pokémon. Taking out his pokedex, Aiden held it up in front of the Pokémon and scanned it.

_Gloom, the weed Pokémon. Gloom's special ability is producing and emitting a horrible scent capable of bringing both humans and Pokémon to unconsciousness. This same scent can be toned down, however, when it has a strong bond with its trainer._

"So…her secret weapon is a Gloom?" Michelle murmured.

"Don't underestimate it," Flora warned, causing the two older spectators to raise their eyebrows. "Mom has had that Gloom since she was a little girl, my age I think. They've been together since then and have trained all this time. It may look like a little innocent thing, but it's super strong."

"Don't let your guard down, Absol!" Aiden warned, causing the dark type to narrow his blood red eyes.

"Gloom, stun spore!" Erika ordered. Gloom shook its head, causing a flurry of orange powder to appear from the center of the flower that adorned the Pokémon's head.

"Absol, quick, dodge it!" Aiden cried urgently.

Absol tried dashing out of the way, but the stun spore was too widespread. No matter where he ran, Absol was completely trapped under the falling powder. It started to fall on him, and instantly, Absol was left unable to move.

"No, Absol!" Aiden gasped.

"Absol is paralyzed," Brandon noted. "He won't be able to move!"

"This is bad," Michelle murmured.

"Perfect, right where I want you!" Erika giggled, causing Aiden to wince. "Now, Gloom, mega drain!"

Gloom bent down until its flower was pointing directly at the paralyzed Absol. An orb of green light began to form in the flower's center, and after a few seconds, it was released in a powerful beam right at Absol. As soon as it hit, Absol was glowing bright green and crying out in severe pain, much to Aiden's horror. That same green light soon faded into white and shot back towards Gloom, outlining the dual type in the light before breaking away and leaving Gloom with a big smile on its face.

"That drained a bunch of Absol's power and gave it to Gloom," Flora commented. "Now it's even stronger than before."

"But what about Absol?" Michelle breathed.

The dark type was bending down on his front legs, panting heavily and hanging his head down so low that it was nearly touching the ground. Aiden was biting the bottom of his lip, watching Absol's struggle with a sense of great concern.

"Absol, please, stay strong!" Aiden urged the Pokémon. "Get up!"

It was no good. Absol soon fainted, falling right on the ground with a loud _thud _and a low groan of exhaustion. Sighing, Aiden smacked a hand over his face, while Michelle and Brandon both watched on in pure shock.

"Absol is unable to battle, which means Gloom is the winner!" Erika's assistant dictated.

Removing Absol's poke ball from his belt, Aiden held out the sphere and called, "take a long rest, Absol. You deserve it!"

After the dark type was safely returned, Aiden stared at the ball for a few seconds before closing his eyes and shrinking the sphere down.

_I've only got one Pokémon left, and he's not strong against grass types…in fact, he's weak against them, _Aiden thought to himself. _But I don't have much of a choice. I have faith in you, buddy. Let's win this match!_

Returning Absol's poke ball to his belt, Aiden removed the last available one and pressed the center button, expanding the red and white sphere to its full size. Flora leaned forward on the bench, but Brandon and Michelle didn't make a single move. They knew who Aiden's only Pokémon left was. And they were both nervous for him.

"Okay, it's time to go," Aiden murmured exclusively to the ball before hurling it up in the air and yelling, "Squirtle, I choose you!"

The ball popped open and released Aiden's starter Pokémon; his partner. The blue turtle narrowed his red-brown eyes at Gloom and stared down the dual type with determination.

"A water type?" Erika mused aloud. "Well, that's not a very good choice. They're weak against a grass type like Gloom!"

"Maybe so, but I have confidence in my Squirtle," Aiden refuted. "Besides, if there's anything that my Dad has taught me about Pokémon battles, it's that type advantage isn't everything!"

"You idolize him, huh?" Erika sighed. "Why am I not surprised? You act just like him, and you look just like him too. A Pokémon Master in the making, perhaps. But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you win this battle! Gloom is going to take your Squirtle down."

"I'd like to see you try," Aiden smirked.

"Let the final round begin!" The referee called.

"Quick, Squirtle, use water gun!" Aiden ordered.

With a super-fast reaction time, Squirtle unleashed his most powerful water attack, which made contact with Gloom before the weed Pokémon could react. The water gun was so powerful, in fact, that Gloom ended up colliding with the wall of the gym.

"Gloom!" Erika shrieked.

"Great work, Squirtle!" Aiden complimented. "But we can't let up. Not yet. Follow that up with bite, hurry!"

"Squirt!" Squirtle charged forward, opening his mouth as he prepared to sink his teeth into the fallen dual type.

"Gloom, out of the way!" Erika demanded.

"Gloom Gloom!" Gloom cried, rolling out of the way before Squirtle could get to it. Whipping around, the small turtle glared at Gloom, who had rolled itself back onto the battle field and, before long, back onto its feet.

"Excellent," Erika sighed. "Gloom, use acid!"

Gloom fired a violet colored ball from its mouth that struck Squirtle dead on. The water type fell onto his back with a strip of purple covering the front of his face, crying out in severe pain as the poison seeped into his body, in addition to being stuck on his back.

"Squirtle, no!" Aiden wailed.

"This is exactly what I was hoping for!" Erika trilled. "Gloom, while Squirtle is down, use mega drain to regain some of your power!"

Just as it had done to Absol before, Gloom began to focus all of its energy into the center of its head, where the green orb of energy formed in the middle of its flower. It exploded into a beam of light, engulfing Squirtle and rapidly sucking out the poisoned and already injured Pokémon's energy.

"Squirtle!" Aiden screamed.

The green light turned to white and was returned to Gloom, who regained some of the energy it had previously lost from Squirtle's water gun attack. While the weed Pokémon was replenished, Squirtle wasn't doing as well. He was still on his back, but no longer struggling. His big eyes were halfway closed, the purple strip on his face growing longer and darker. Every few seconds, his arms and legs would spasm, and his breathing was becoming heavy.

"Squirtle, please, get up!" Aiden begged. "I know you can! I believe in you! You can't give up!"

Squirtle managed to rock himself back and forth just once, but that soon seemed to be too much for the tiny turtle Pokémon. He leaned his head back and groaned, his eyes slipping closed even further. Aiden clenched his fists by his sides and lowered his head, grinding his teeth together before squeezing his eyes shut and, in a last ditch effort of desperation, shouted, "SQUIRTLE!"

Opening his eyes all the way, Squirtle let out a loud cry that was just as determined as his trainer's. With that, his entire body began to glow, causing Aiden to gasp and draw his shoulders back.

"No way…"

"Brandon…is this what I think it is?" Michelle breathed.

"You're exactly right," Brandon marveled. "Squirtle is evolving!"

"WOAH!" Flora cried, her green eyes sparkling with pure excitement. She had never seen a Pokémon evolve before!

Still enshrouded in the bright blue light, the shell on Squirtle's back began to grow larger, which helped the water type back onto his feet. He quickly became taller, and two fluffy appendages soon grew out of the sides of his head. His tail grew larger as well and also became fluffy, much like his newly visible ears. When the light finally disappeared, it was obvious that Squirtle was no longer…well…Squirtle. His skin was darker, his grin more mischievous with two sharp little teeth sticking out, and his eyes no longer so big and innocent. They were more brown than red now, and a small, dark blue oval was now visible beneath each of the Pokémon's eyes.

"Wow…Wartortle!" Aiden crowed, instantly pulling out his pokedex to scan the newly evolved creature.

_Wartortle, the turtle Pokémon, and the evolved form of Squirtle. Wartortle can swim and spit out water faster than its pre-evolved form. It is said that a Wartortle can live for 10,000 years._

"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen!" Aiden bellowed. "You evolved right in the middle of battle! And all because I believed in you! Way to go, Wartortle!"

"War!" Wartortle cried. His voice was now deeper as well.

"Hmph," Erika scoffed. "Evolution or not, I'm still going to win. Look, Wartortle is still poisoned!"

Aiden examined the Pokémon's face. The strip of purple was still visible, but for some reason, it was not as dark as it had been in the moment before the evolution had occurred.

"You must have regained some energy once you evolved," Aiden murmured. "That's great! But it's still not perfect. You're going to get weaker, so we've got to work with what we've got! Use water gun!"

"Tortle!" Wartortle drew his head back and unleashed a water gun that was far more powerful than any time he had used it as a Squirtle. It hit Gloom fast and hard, sending the weed Pokémon straight into the dusty ground of the battle field.

"Great job, Wartortle!" Aiden cheered. "Quick, use tackle!"

Wartortle charged forward, but instead of executing a proper tackle, he pulled his head, legs, and arms inside of his shell, which soon started spinning through midair, right towards Gloom who was just getting back on its feet. The shell collided with Gloom, sending the dual type sliding across the battle field and crying out in pain.

"WHAT?!" Erika shouted.

"Whoa, that's not tackle!" Aiden gasped. "You learned rapid spin!"

"That's so cool!" Flora shrieked, getting to her feet and jumping up and down like a crazy person. "This is the coolest battle I've ever seen _ever!_"

"Gloom, get up!" Erika begged. "Come on, let's go! I know you're not done!"

Gloom tried its hardest to stand up, but it just had no energy left. The water gun followed by the rapid spin had all been too much for Gloom to handle. Letting out a withering cry, Gloom toppled back down to the ground with swirls in its eyes, left unable to battle.

"Wh…what?" Aiden murmured out of disbelief.

"Gloom is…unable to battle," Erika's assistant stammered, hardly able to believe it herself. "Which means the winner is Wartortle. And the battle goes to Aiden!"

Aiden blinked just once before laughing joyfully and holding his arms out towards his newly evolved water type, shouting, "WARTORTLE! WE DID IT!"

"War!" Wartortle yelped, spinning around and running towards Aiden, actually allowing his trainer to pick him up and hold him in the air.

"I can't believe I got beaten by a water type," Erika sighed. "He really _is_ just like his father."

Still chortling along with Wartortle, Aiden stopped right away when Erika approached him with a wooden case held in her hands. Peering inside of the box, Aiden found a flower shaped metal pin, painted with all the colors of the rainbow.

"Aiden, because you managed to beat me in a battle, you have officially won the Rainbow Badge," Erika announced with a smile, holding the wooden box closer to Aiden. "Please, take it!"

Grinning widely, Aiden reached into the box and plucked out the badge, holding it high in the air as Wartortle jumped out of his arms and smiled just as wide.

"Alright!" Aiden cheered valiantly. "I won the Rainbow Badge!"

"War war!" Wartortle chimed in, holding his own claw up in the air.

"Now I'm halfway towards the Indigo League!" Aiden laughed happily to himself. "Four badges down, four to go!"

"The next closest gym to here is in Fuchsia City," Erika informed Aiden, who lowered the badge to his chest. "The gym leader there, Janine, is a tough one! But you're a pretty talented young trainer. I think you might just be able to win!"

"Wow, thanks so much, Erika!" Aiden beamed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'm going to have to compliment your mother on what a wonderful son she has," Erika sighed playfully. "You're definitely a handful, but you're an amazing trainer. I really think you might just catch up to your father at some point!"

"That's my goal!" Aiden laughed.

"Aiden!"

The boy looked up and found Flora running towards him, with Michelle and Brandon trailing behind.

"Hey Flora, what'd you think of that battle?" Aiden asked the younger girl.

"It was amazing, the best battle I've ever watched!" Flora gushed. "I'm so glad I got you back into the gym! You're the best!"

She and Aiden both laughed and gave one another a high five, much to Erika's delight. "Well, it would appear that you and my daughter have become fast friends! How could I possibly complain about that?"

"Erika?" Aiden questioned softly, fully catching the attention of the grass type gym leader. "Flora really loves you a whole lot. I can tell! We talked after she made me…uh…dress up like a girl to get back in here. You gotta' make sure you support her no matter what, okay? She may not be a girly girl, but she's pretty unique, and I think that's a lot cooler. You two can be great partners if you just stick together!"

Smiling softly at Aiden, Erika nodded and murmured, "I know what you're saying, Aiden. And I don't know exactly what Flora told you, but I do know she sometimes feel like our relationship is strained. But I love my daughter more than anything in the entire world, and I'll make sure that she knows it more often."

"That's great!" Aiden beamed. "I'm glad!"

**XXX**

"So, you beat Erika, huh?"

"Yep!" Aiden cheered. "And now I'm halfway towards the Indigo League! Just four more badges to go!"

"That's quite the accomplishment, champ!" Ash, who was speaking to his son on the other end of a video phone call, chuckled. "I'm really proud of you! And I'm sure your mother is too!"

"Of course I'm proud of him!"

"Ow!"

Ash grimaced and rubbed the back of his head, where Misty had just swatted him with a rolled up magazine.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen, I didn't hit you _that_ hard," Misty commented with a smirk on her face.

"You know me so well," Ash sighed, still rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm so glad you beat Erika!" Misty informed her son. "It's always good to knock her down a peg or two, that self-absorbed little-"

"Keep it in, Mist," Ash interrupted.

"She wasn't that bad, Mom!" Aiden laughed. "I mean, except for the whole kicking me out of the gym thing because I insulted her perfume…"

"What, she still does that?" Ash complained.

"Apparently," Aiden replied. "Oh, that reminds me! Dad, how come Erika said I'm just like you when I had to dress up like a girl to get into the gym?"

Ash's eyes widened, while Misty burst out laughing hysterically.

"That doesn't mean anything!" Ash rushed out, a blush overtaking his face. It disappeared, however, as he leaned back in his chair and wondered aloud, "wait…what do you mean you had to dress up like a girl to get into the gym?"

"Uh…nothing?" Aiden chuckled nervously.

"Oh no, I'll never hear the end of _that!_" Misty groaned, covering her face with her hands. "Aiden, why would you do that just to get into the gym? I didn't need her to have any more dirt on me!" Glancing at Ash, she mumbled, "I _knew_ having your son would be trouble!"

"There's nothing wrong with cross-dressing to earn a gym badge!" Ash shouted, causing Aiden to furrow his brow.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," Misty sighed. "Aiden, we have to go start getting ready for dinner. But we're both very proud of you for winning the badge! And tell Michelle good luck in her Contest tomorrow for us!"

"I will, thanks Mom!" Aiden smiled before ending the call.

Back in Cerulean City, Ash groaned and hit his head against the desk where the videophone was perched on. Misty giggled and gently rubbed her husband's back, cooing to him, "it's alright, honey! There's no shame in having to dress like a girl just to win a little gym badge! Just like you said!"

"All my life…" Ash murmured.

"It's been twenty one years, I'm sure you'll survive," Misty giggled. "Now, come on. We have to start getting dressed if we ever want to get to dinner on time!"

"Yeah…" Ash sighed and got out of the desk chair. "Wait! There's something I have to give you first!"

Misty spun around and raised a wry eyebrow. "Give me something? What is it? Oooh, is it a kiss?"

"No, that's too easy," Ash chuckled. "It's something a little more substantial than just a kiss."

"Alright…" Misty drawled on uncertainly. "But I still want a kiss later!"

"Sure, why not," Ash laughed. "But this is what's important right now. It's something that I got for you, and I've been saving it for when Aiden got his fourth badge."

"That's sort of a strange milestone to save it for," Misty mused. "I'm not the one traveling around the region collecting badges! Shouldn't you reward our _son_ for that? And why the fourth badge? Why not the first or the last?"

"Misty, stop asking questions!" Ash whined in a childlike fashion. "This is a gift for you because I want you to use it when Aiden finally battles you for the Cascade Badge. I figured I would save it for when he was halfway there, because it will give you some time to work with my gift."

"Work with it?" Misty repeated before gasping as she came to realization. "Ash, did you catch me a Pokémon?"

"I did," Ash replied, a small smirk gracing his lips as Misty's entire face lit up. Reaching down to his belt, Ash plucked off a poke ball and expanded the sphere before handing it off to Misty. "I think this Pokémon is _perfect_ for you. It wasn't easy to catch, but it was worth all the effort I put into it."

"Oh, Ash, thank you!" Misty squealed, jumping at her husband to engulf him in a tight, bone crushing hug. "I'll have to start training with this one right away! Is it a powerful Pokémon?"

Ash let out a husky chuckle at this, causing Misty to raise an eyebrow. "It's _very_ strong."

"And…you caught it for me so I could use it against our own child?" Misty asked skeptically.

"This isn't to punish Aiden!" Ash quickly refuted. "It's to help him prove himself. By the time he gets to you, he'll have earned seven badges. And you're his final test before entering the Indigo League. Our son can't go around thinking that every battle in life will be easy. He needs a challenge. And by defeating your newest Pokémon, he'll be able to show us and everyone else just how strong he's become, and how ready he is to take on the League."

"You _would_ do this," Misty murmured, still staring at the red and white sphere that she held in her hand.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help Aiden realize his full potential," Ash continued. "Michelle too, for that matter. I want them to be confident, but I also want them to be aware. I believe in them with all of my heart, but they have to as well."

"I know exactly what you mean," Misty whispered, looking up at her husband with clear eyes.

"We've always been on the same page, whether we want to admit it or not," Ash snickered. "Now, let's start getting ready for that dinner. I want us to finish as soon as possible so you can see your newest battle partner!"

* * *

**Sooo, who is Misty's new Pokémon, a gift from Ash? I'm not telling ;) You can guess, though! But it's going to be a BIG secret! Because I like that :P**

**Hopefully the battle didn't suck. That was part of the reason it took so long: I'm bad at writing battles. It takes me FOREVER because I get bored so easily! And school on top of it? Doesn't help. But, I finally finished it! And now you can all go back to leaving your reviews and guesses, if you all don't completely hate me ;) WHICH I REALLY HOPE YOU DON'T!**

**And don't worry: the next chapter isn't going to take months and months! :)**


	27. Celadon Contest! Missteps and Misfortune

**I told you guys you wouldn't have to wait too long for the next update! This is much better than last time, now isn't it? XD Hopefully we can keep this going over the summer. Fingers crossed!**

**Last time: Aiden finally had his gym battle against Erika. It was long and hard fought, and very back-and-forth. Down to his last Pokémon, Squirtle, Aiden is stunned when the type disadvantaged Pokémon evolves into Wartortle, and wins him the match! With Aiden's fourth badge secured, he excitedly calls his parents to inform them of his feat. After the call, noting that Aiden is halfway towards the Indigo League, Ash presents Misty with a gift: a brand new Pokémon she has to train in order to use against Aiden in their future gym battle.**

* * *

**Chapter 27: Celadon Contest! Missteps and Misfortunes!**

"Wow, so this is only your second Super Contest, huh? I can't believe it!"

Michelle grimaced as she tried to fix her bright red hair into a neat ponytail behind her head. Her hair was naturally straight, so it was easy to manage, but Michelle was by no means good with their hair or anything of the sort. Her mother was the one who usually did that kind of stuff for her. Trying to twist the hair tie around her ponytail resulted in the bunched up hair falling apart, however, and curtaining around her face and shoulders just as it usually did.

"Ugh, I give up!" Michelle whined, resting her head against the vanity.

"Huh? What's up with you?" Aiden questioned, finally realizing that his sister seemed to be having a breakdown of sorts.

"My stupid hair won't stay up!" Michelle complained. "All I want to do is put it in a ponytail, and I can't even do that!"

"Well, don't look at me," Aiden laughed just once. "I don't know anything about girl hair."

"Yeah well, apparently I don't either," Michelle grumbled, picking her head up and narrowing her eyes at her reflection in the mirror.

"What's the matter, Michelle? Hair giving you trouble?"

Michelle looked over her shoulder and found Clarisse standing in the doorway of the dressing room. She had a smile on her face, and was already fully outfitted in her white and gold Contest dress, with her platinum blonde hair curled into very tight ringlets and the gold crown adorning the top of her head.

"In the worst way," Michelle sighed.

"Well, here, let me give it a try!" Clarisse offered, stepping fully into the room and standing behind Michelle. She gathered the girl's red hair into her hands and ran Michelle's light blue brush through the shiny locks, getting the strands tight and close together. Once they were, she pulled the ponytail up on Michelle's head and took the hair tie, looping it around the base of the high ponytail and repeating the action three times until it was tightly constricting the ponytail and keeping the hair in one place.

"There! Perfect!" Clarisse giggled.

Michelle blinked and leaned forward to examine herself in the mirror. The ponytail was, in fact, very neat and well done. It looked a little different from her first Super Contest; she didn't have two layers hanging down by her face. Instead, every last piece of hair had been put up. But Michelle liked changing things up, so she thought the different ponytail looked nice.

"Wow, thanks so much, Clarisse!" Michelle marveled. "It looks great!"

"Is that your hairclip?" Clarisse asked suddenly, pointing at the green flower resting on the vanity desk in front of Michelle.

"Oh, yeah," Michelle giggled nervously. "I was getting so worked up about my ponytail that I kind of forgot about it!"

"Here, I've got it," Clarisse smiled, picking up the flower and clipping it into the back of Michelle's ponytail. "_Now _it's perfect!"

Michelle beamed at her reflection and jumped up from the vanity chair, throwing her arms around Clarisse and giving the girl a tight hug.

"Clarisse, you are seriously a life saver!" Michelle squealed. "Thank you _so_ much!"

"Don't mention it!" Clarisse laughed. "So, I heard you caught a brand new Pokémon recently!"

"Yeah, I sure did!" Michelle replied. Reaching for the poke ball that was already encased in a purple capsule, Michelle added, "my Eevee is going to make his debut today, and I know it's going to be great!"

"I bet!" Clarisse marveled. "I remember back when Espeon was still an Eevee. Such a cute little thing! I bet the judges will really see that in your performance today."

"I hope so," Michelle sighed, holding the poke ball against her chest.

The lights in the dressing room suddenly flickered, alerting the two young girls that the Contest was about to get underway. They gave each other anxious glances, to which Aiden, who was still awkwardly standing in the room, chuckled sheepishly.

"Well, I guess I'll leave you two to get ready for your appeals!" Aiden added, moving swiftly towards the door. Before exiting, he gripped the frame with his fingers and spun around, flashing a wide smile at them before finishing with a shaky, "oh, uh, good luck!"

As he ran down the hallway, Clarisse giggled softly, causing Michelle to turn towards the blonde and raise a curious eyebrow. Clarisse noticed Michelle's bewildered look and clarified her laugh by asking, "Your brother really is sweet, huh?"

"Him? No way!" Michelle shouted, her eyes widening in shock before turning her attention towards the now vacant doorframe and glaring at it. "He's a total pain!"

**XXX**

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Celadon City Pokémon Contest!"

As the crowd cheered following Lilian Meridian's excited opening call, Aiden scurried his way down the first row of the stands until he was sitting in the empty seat besides Brandon. The young breeder chuckled and turned his head to look at Aiden, who was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Pichu was sitting in Brandon's lap, having been entrusted to the breeder by her trainer.

"Did you have fun backstage?" Brandon asked teasingly.

"Yeah, watching Michelle have a meltdown over her stupid hair is a real blast," Aiden muttered, throwing in an eye roll for good measure.

"I'm sure she's just a little nervous is all," Brandon chuckled. "That's perfectly normal right before a Contest! Cut her some slack, bro."

After introducing the usual three judges: Mr. Contesta, Mr. Sukizo, and Celadon City's Nurse Joy, Lilian raised an excited arm up in the air and called the beginning of the Contest. With that, the curtains behind the stage pulled open, revealing the Contest's first contestant. Three more of them went until they got up to contestant number five: Michelle.

"Here we go!" Aiden yelled excitedly as Michelle emerged from behind the curtain. "Let's see what she's got!"

"Alright," Michelle whispered to herself before tossing the capsule encased poke ball she held in her hand. "Eevee, curtain call!"

The ball burst open, orange eighth notes swirling in the air in front of musical bars. The notes eventually parted to reveal little Eevee, who was beaming from in between the floating symbols. He soon landed on the stage, right on his paws, as the eighth notes burst into orange sparkles around him.

"Wow, what a fantastic entrance!" Lilian commented.

"But we're just getting started!" Michelle snickered. "Eevee, quick attack!"

"Vee!" Eevee started running rapidly in a circle, a bright white light wrapping around as he ran, making it look like a carousel lit up in the night.

"Check out the speed on that quick attack!" Lilian marveled. "Amazing!"

"Alright Eevee, now use bite!" Michelle ordered.

When Eevee stopped running in a circle, however, he seemed a little too dizzy to do anything. He was shakily rocking back and forth with his eyes shut tight, whimpering softly as he tried to regain his footing.

"Hey, Eevee?" Michelle called out nervously.

"Uh oh, looks like trouble," Brandon noted.

"Eevee please, snap out of it!" Michelle begged. It didn't seem to be doing much, however, as the normal type just continued to sway back and forth.

"Oh my, it appears that all of that running in a circle has made Eevee dizzy!" Lilian commented. "What will happen now?"

Michelle bit her lip and, out of the corner of her eye, glanced at the judges. None of them looked very impressed with her appeal so far. When she looked back down at Eevee, she realized that the evolution Pokémon had finally stopped swaying and was now shaking his head out.

"Great!" Michelle breathed a sigh of relief. "Now Eevee, use bite!"

Opening his mouth, Eevee showed off his sharp, glistening teeth before crouching down to build up energy in his small legs so he could jump in the air and take a big bite to show off the strength he had in his jaw. When he landed, the judges seemed slightly more impressed, but not blown away by the performance, which made Michelle quite nervous.

Eevee must have sensed this, and also not been too confident in his own abilities, because as soon as the appeal was over, he turned around and ran straight up to his trainer, whimpering sadly. Smiling, Michelle lifted Eevee up into her arms and cuddled the normal type, softly reassuring him as she walked off the stage and returned to the holding room.

"It's okay, Eevee," Michelle murmured. "No need to be so upset! Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. I think you were wonderful, don't worry."

"Next on stage is Clarisse, from right here in Celadon City!"

Lilian's booming voice caused Michelle to turn her attention onto the jumbo screen TV that hung in the coordinator holding room. Clarisse was now standing on stage, the curtain having just been pulled back to reveal her with a beaming smile on her face and a capsule encased poke ball in hand.

"Now, Girafarig, time to shine!" Clarisse yelled as she tossed the ball. It burst open, yellow stars clustering together to form one large star before bursting into gold sparkles that fell down upon a yellow and brown Pokémon with a long neck, pink spikes running down its back, and a tail that closely resembled a face.

"Whoa, a Girafarig!" Aiden marveled from the audience, pulling out his red pokedex to scan the creature that was now standing on stage in front of its trainer.

_Girafarig, the long neck Pokémon. Its tail has a small brain of its own and will bite anything with an alluring scent._

"I didn't know Clarisse had a Girafarig," Aiden commented, closing his pokedex.

"Well, it's a dual type Pokémon: half normal, half psychic," Brandon added. "This should be a pretty interesting appeal!"

"Girafarig, agility!" Clarisse shouted.

The long neck Pokémon began running from side to side, going so fast that when it was running in the middle of the stage, it completely disappeared as though it were invisible.

"Wow, look at the speed of that agility!" Lilian called. "Amazing!"

"Now Girafarig, stomp!"

While running and still "invisible," Girafarig jumped up high in the air and appeared to be flying above the stage.

"Look at that!" Brandon gasped. "It's almost as if Girafarig was weightless!"

The dual type Pokémon went sailing back down towards the stage, landing so hard on its hooves that visible rings of energy spread out around its body.

"The strength of Girafarig's stomp attack was clearly visible!" Lilian wowed. "Truly an incredible performance that showed off both Girafarig's speed _and _strength!"

Clarisse waved to the crowd before calling out to Girafarig, who galloped back over to her and allowed the girl to stroke its head.

"That was amazing," Aiden breathed. "It was a lot better than Michelle's appeal…"

"Yeah, I'm a little worried about her," Brandon admitted.

"Do you think we should go backstage and check on her?" Aiden questioned.

"Pi-chu!" Pichu chirped from Brandon's lap.

"I think that was a yes," Brandon chuckled softly. "Pichu must be worried about her trainer! Come on, let's go visit Michelle."

**XXX**

"Clarisse! You were really good!"

The blonde smiled at her friendly red headed rival and giggled. "Thanks, Michelle! You looked good too!"

"I wish that was the truth," Michelle sulked, still cradling Eevee in her arms. "My appeal was pretty disastrous. Poor Eevee couldn't use quick attack without getting dizzy! I guess we needed to work on it some more."

"Don't get so down on yourself," Clarisse continued. "We all have a bad appeal every once in a while! Besides, you recovered really well at the end. I'm sure the judges will take that into consideration!"

"Thanks, you're right!" Michelle chirped, slowly beginning to feel more confident in herself.

"Hey! Michelle!"

Clarisse turned around, and Michelle looked around the blonde girl. Aiden and Brandon were hurrying into the room, Pichu being held in Brandon's arms as the two boys entered the holding room.

"Pi!" Pichu squeaked, jumping right onto Michelle's head.

"Hey there, little buddy!" Michelle giggled. "I know you don't really like sitting in the stands, but it wasn't so bad, was it?"

"Chu!" Pichu replied.

"Brandon takes the very best care of you!" Michelle laughed. "It's great!"

"So, Michelle, your appeal…" Aiden began lamely.

"I know, I know, it wasn't my best," Michelle sighed sadly. "But…Clarisse is right! I recovered pretty nicely at the end. So maybe the judges will cut me some slack for the bad start!"

"That's not a bad point," Aiden agreed.

"It's pretty reasonable, if you ask me!" Brandon chimed in.

"See, Michelle?" Clarisse reassured her friend. "Everyone believes in you! All you need is some faith, and you'll be fine!"

"Sorry for the delay, folks!" Lilian's voice came through the speakers, alerting all of the coordinators plus Aiden and Brandon. "Our judges have finally tabulated all of the scores, and here are our eight finalists moving onto the battle round!"

One by one, eight pictures began popping up on the screen, and with each passing photo, Michelle nervously bit her lip. Clarisse's picture was the sixth one to appear, bringing a huge sense of relief to the young blonde. When the seventh and eighth pictures passed, however, neither of them were Michelle's.

For the first time in her short Contest career, Michelle had not made it past the appeal round.

"Oh no," Aiden murmured, an apparent frown appearing on his face.

Clarisse too frowned and turned towards the now dejected coordinator. "Michelle, I'm so sorry. I really thought you would make it through!"

"That's okay," Michelle mumbled, her lips bending into a small smile. "Yeah, it's just one Contest. I'll recover. Next time…I'll go further. I'll go back to the battle round and win it! I'm sure!"

"That's the spirit!" Brandon cheered on Michelle, whose smile grew wider at his encouragement.

"But until then, I'm going to get out of this dress and watch you battle!" Michelle informed Clarisse, who put on a determined look in response. "And I expect you to go out there and win your fourth ribbon!"

"You can count on me!" Clarisse laughed, giving Michelle a thumbs up. "I'll win it for sure!"

**XXX**

Clarisse easily sailed through both the quarter and semifinals, which brought her straight to the final round. There, she would be battling another girl, Gisele, who had flown through the other two rounds just as easily as Clarisse. Michelle, who had moved up into the stands with Aiden and Brandon, was watching on in excitement as both Clarisse and Gisele took the stage, ready to face off for the coveted Celadon ribbon.

"And, begin!" Lilian called.

"Girafarig, time to shine!" Clarisse yelled, releasing her dual type Pokémon.

Gisele, who was standing across the stage from Clarisse, snickered to herself and threw her own poke ball. "Purugly, let's go!"

Appearing before the sly, lilac haired girl was a large gray and white cat with an unhappy expression and a spring-like tail on its backside.

"Oh…that sure is an interesting Pokémon…" Michelle murmured.

Aiden too raised an eyebrow before pulling out his pokedex for the second time that day. "Let's see…"

_Purugly, the tiger cat Pokémon. When angered, they are quick to attack and very fast movers. They attempt to make themselves look larger and more intimidating than they actually are._

"That Purugly is really well trained," Brandon commented. "You can tell it's at a very high level because it's been using hyper beam and giga impact an awful lot. Hopefully Clarisse will find a way around that."

"Girafarig, quick, use psychic!" Clarisse ordered.

"Nice, a quick turnaround!" Aiden cheered.

Girafarig's eyes began to glow a bright blue, which was soon transmitted to Purugly. Its body was surrounded by the same hue, and the tiger cat Pokémon was hovering high above the battle field, much to Gisele's horror.

"Throw it!" Clarisse called.

Girafarig tilted its head down, which sent Purugly sailing back towards the battlefield. Its body immediately hit the hard surface, causing Purguly to cry out in apparent pain.

"Purugly!" Gisele gasped as though she were offended. Up on the board, Gisele's points bar diminished due to the attack.

"So far so good," Michelle commented.

"Purugly, quick! Use hyper beam on Girafarig!" Gisele ordered.

The tiger cat Pokémon quickly unleashed a powerful beam of orange energy at Girafarig that sent the dual type flying. Clarisse gasped as Girafarig hit the stage, her points slowly creeping away as a result of the attack.

"That hyper beam is insane," Aiden muttered.

"But Purugly shouldn't be able to move for a little while after using it," Brandon added. "Clarisse should have Girafarig attack now if she wants to get back the advantage!"

"Girafarig, stomp!" Clarisse yelled.

Girafarig got back up and started running straight towards Purugly. Gisele, however, didn't seem at all worried. In fact, she had a rather mischievous smirk on her face.

"I knew you would go for a head on attack after hyper beam," Gisele commented smartly. "Now, Purugly, use substitute!"

Meowing, the normal type created a clone of itself right before Girafarig stomped down on its hooves, causing Girafarig to instead attack the clone. As soon as it stomped down, the clone disintegrated, leaving Purugly safe and untouched. Clarisse's points went down even more after the fact, alarming the blonde.

"This is bad!" Michelle gasped.

"I knew that Purugly was strong!" Aiden groaned.

"Let's keep going, Purugly!" Gisele laughed. "Giga impact!"

Purugly, having fully recharged from its hyper beam attack, jumped high into the air while its body became surrounded by an invisible force of energy. From in front of Purugly's face, a bright yellow beam shot out straight towards Girafarig, becoming surrounded by purple and orange streaks as it soared towards the opponent. The giga impact was moving too quickly for Girafarig to dodge, and the dual type was soon taken down again by the powerful move.

"No, Girafarig!" Clarisse gasped.

More of her points evaporated. Pichu, who was watching the battle from Michelle's lap, whimpered and covered her beady black eyes with her little paws. Michelle wanted to do the same, but couldn't tear her eyes away from the enrapturing battle.

"Wait, doesn't a Pokémon also need to recover after giga impact?" Aiden asked Brandon.

"That's right," Brandon replied. "Purugly knows a lot of strong moves, but they all require recharging. Hopefully this time Clarisse can edge in an attack before Purugly."

"That substitute is concerning, though," Aiden sighed.

Clarisse suddenly put on a very determined look and nodded to herself. Throwing her hand out in front of her, she yelled in a sure and confident voice, "Girafarig! Agility!"

The long neck Pokémon charged forward, running so fast that it would disappear from time to time. Gisele was preparing to call substitute again, but before she could, Purugly was smashed into by Girafarig, sending the large normal type flying.

"No, Purugly!" Gisele shrieked. This time, it was _her _points bar suffering instead of Clarisse's.

"Nice comeback!" Michelle cheered.

"Pi!" Pichu agreed.

"Not done yet!" Clarisse yelled. "Tackle!"

Girafarig made a quick turnaround and slammed its head into Purugly's side. More of Gisele's points slipped away due to the attack.

"Ugh, no way!" Gisele wailed.

"Stomp, one more time!" Clarisse ordered.

With Purugly still down, Girafarig stomped on the normal type, causing it to cry out in pain. All eyes returned to the scoreboard, where Gisele's points continued to slip away.

"No, this can't be happening!" Gisele panicked. "Purugly, come on, use-"

"Time is up!"

Lilian's call caused both coordinators to gasp and turn their attention onto the scoreboard. They trained their eyes onto their perspective point bars, and then their opponents. It had been a very close match, but in the end, the coordinator with the most points remaining was…

"Clarisse! Congratulations!"

The young blonde hooted out of excitement and stormed the stage, wrapping her arms around Girafarig's neck and giggling as she celebrated with and congratulated the dual type Pokémon. In the middle of her celebration, Clarisse was approached by Gisele, who offered a hand and words of congratulations. Clarisse was more than happy to return the hand and compliment Gisele on her battling as well.

With the Contest complete, it was time to award Clarisse with her ribbon for winning. The Celadon ribbon was absolutely stunning, just like the city itself. It was a pale green in color, reminiscent of spring green in shade. It hung down in two strands, the ends cut into two neat spikes that were lined with gold. The center of the ribbon was gold in color and shaped like a flower with seven petals, a gemstone placed in each one with a different color of the rainbow; homage to the city's motto: "city of the rainbow's colors."

"It kind of reminds me of the rainbow badge," Aiden commented.

"I think they're really big on rainbows here," Michelle giggled.

"Chu!" Pichu crooned in response.

"Hey, Michelle, doesn't Clarisse have four ribbons now?" Brandon asked.

"Yeah, she's really close to the Grand Festival already," Michelle sighed. "I've only got two! I've got to catch up, and fast!"

"Don't worry, Shelly, you've got plenty of time!" Aiden assured his sister.

"Aiden is right," Brandon agreed. "Just take it nice and slow, and you'll succeed in no time!"

Michelle smiled appreciatively at her brother and friend. "Thanks guys. I always know I can count on you two to cheer me up and keep me going!"

* * *

**Alright, a little bit shorter than usual, since Michelle lost in the first round. And again, more battling, so it was harder for me to write! Hopefully next chapter will go a bit more smoothly for me :P **

**Remember to leave your reviews, foreshadowing guesses, opinions, etc etc etc. I read them all and I love seeing everyone's ideas and such!**


	28. Rocketing the Underground!

**Hellooo. So, since last chapter was so short, I got my butt to work on the next one and finished it up nice and quick for you guys! I really like this one, so hopefully you all will too! We're delving deeper into the conflict of the story with this one. Lots of juicy information ahead...so get ready!**

**LAST TIME: Michelle enters the Celadon Contest and competes against her rival, Clarisse. Michelle uses her new Eevee in the appeals round, but it doesn't go as planned. She ends up being eliminated after just the first round, but sticks around to watch Clarisse go on to win the Contest-and her fourth ribbon.**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Rocketing the Underground!**

Michelle sighed sadly and rolled over in bed. She'd had one lousy night of sleep after the equally lousy Contest. It was hard to fall asleep, after all, when all you could do was think about how terribly you had done.

_I failed Eevee, and I made myself look stupid, _Michelle thought scathingly to herself, _Losing in the first round…that's a disgrace._

"Morning, Michelle!"

The girl shrieked and nearly fell out of bed. Clutching the sheets to keep herself on the mattress, Michelle snarled and looked up, finding herself face to face with Aiden. Pichu, who had been curled up fast asleep on Michelle's pillow, yawned tiredly and opened her eyes as she picked her head up and shook it, big ears swaying as she tried to get the extra sleep out of her system.

"Aiden, what are you doing?!" Michelle barked. She clearly had no patience for her twin that morning.

"I didn't do anything wrong," Aiden sheepishly replied. "All I did was say good morning to you. Does that really make me a bad brother?"

"No," Michelle finally admitted with a groan. "I'm sorry, Aiden. It's just…I'm still…"

"Upset about yesterday?" Aiden finished for the girl when she trailed off.

"Yeah," Michelle sighed, hanging her head in apparent shame.

"Hey, there's no need to feel bad!" Aiden assured, sitting down beside Michelle on her bed. "You can't win _every _Contest! I know for sure you'll do better in your next one."

"But how do you know for sure?" Michelle grumbled.

"Because I'm your brother, that's how!" Aiden chuckled, finally earning a smile from Michelle. "I lost a gym battle once, remember? To Brandon's dad. The first match was _horrible. _It got so bad that Forrest had to call off his Steelix before Squirtle got maimed. But you remember what I did, right?"

"…no," Michelle quietly lied.

"Yes you do," Aiden chuckled. "I trained harder! I worked harder with Squirtle, and together, we beat Forrest on the second try. You just have to keep on training, and you'll win another Contest soon enough!"

A small smile finally etched its way onto Michelle's face. "You know, you're right. Thanks, Aiden. For getting all those stupid thoughts out of my head, I mean."

"Don't mention it," Aiden hummed, standing up from the bed and stretching his arms up over his head. "Now, we should probably get dressed and head over to the dining hall. Brandon is waiting there for us!"

"Sounds good to me," Michelle giggled. "I'm starving!"

**XXX**

As soon as Aiden and Michelle arrived to the dining hall, they found Brandon sitting at a table with Pichu and Riolu, who had been let out of his poke ball by Aiden before the boy woke up his sister. Both were drinking moomoo milk out of bottles, while Brandon busily dug into his own breakfast of-

"Waffles!" Aiden shouted excitedly, running over to the table and sliding in, his eyes glimmering as he stared at the plate. "I've gotta' get me some of those!"

"Why don't I get us both some?" Michelle asked her brother. "It's the least I could do after you cheered me up!"

"Wow, that'd be awesome! Thanks, Michelle!"

Brandon watched Michelle walk away with shock visible on his face. Once she was gone, he turned his head towards Aiden, who seemed confused by Brandon's look of surprise.

"What?" Aiden squeaked.

"This is unusual," Brandon replied. "You and Michelle, getting along and not trying to rip out one another's throats. What's gotten into you guys, huh?"

"Nothing!" Aiden laughed. "She just woke up feeling bad about the Contest yesterday, so I gave her a little pep talk that lit a fire under her butt. I cheered her up, and she's grateful!"

"This is a nice change of pace, you know," Brandon commented with a laugh. "I like not having to separate you two! If only your parents could see this."

"They wouldn't believe it," Aiden playfully remarked.

"Aiden…?"

The young boy looked up, finding his sister to be staring down at him with a confused expression. She had two plates of food in her hands, just as she had promised him, but she looked absolutely bewildered on top of it.

"What's wrong, Michelle?" Aiden questioned.

"There was a guy standing over by the food, and he asked me if I knew you," Michelle explained, putting the food down on the table. "I didn't know what to say, because, well…he's kind of weird."

"What's he look like?" Aiden asked.

"Uh…he's got dark blond hair, crystal blue eyes, and for some weird reason he's wearing a cape?"

"Oh, that's Eusine!" Aiden chuckled. Michelle and Brandon both raised their eyebrows, not sure of what that was supposed to mean. "Clarisse introduced me to him. He researches legendary Pokémon and travels the world in search of them! And he even met Mom and Dad once, a really long time ago."

"Wow, that's pretty cool," Michelle breathed.

"Why's he looking for me?" Aiden continued.

Michelle shrugged. "He said there was something he had to ask you. Something pretty important. He wouldn't tell me anything."

Aiden narrowed his eyes and turned his head from side to side as he scanned around the room. "Where is he?"

"Still standing over by the food," Michelle replied, pointing over to where the trays sat. Indeed, Eusine was standing behind it, half of his face hidden behind a hanging lamp as though that would disguise him from the patrons in the dining hall.

"Yeah, great hiding place," Brandon sarcastically remarked.

Getting up from the table, Aiden hurried over to Eusine, who appeared relieved as soon as the raven haired boy appeared in front of him.

"What's up, Eusine?" Aiden asked curiously.

"Who is that girl I was just talking to?" Eusine demanded to know.

"Uh…my sister?"

"Your sister?" Eusine repeated.

Aiden raised a wry eyebrow. "Yeah, she's my twin."

Rubbing his chin, Eusine muttered, "then she must know the same things you know."

"What things?"

"About Team Rocket," Eusine responded.

"Oh, yeah. They've come after both of us lots of times."

Eusine's eyes widened at this. "Then you could both help me out with my mission."

"Your mission?"

"Do you remember several days ago when I told you about the suspected Team Rocket headquarters underground?" Eusine questioned.

"Yeah, but I thought you said you weren't sure, and that it was too dangerous for me to help out."

"I know what I said originally, but I'm afraid I'll have to go back on my previous conclusion," Eusine continued. "I've done my research, and a bit of exploring, and I know for sure that Team Rocket's secret base is definitely located underground Celadon City. And you, as someone who has had various run ins with that evil group, should be able to help me find exactly where they're hiding."

"And what about Michelle?" Aiden inquired.

"Michelle…?"

"My sister."

"Oh, yes," Eusine chuckled softly. "She can help as well, most definitely. The more help the better, in fact."

"Awesome!" Aiden crowed. "But before we go, you should probably meet her first. Properly, I mean. Come on!"

He started to lead the mystery man back towards the table, and during the entire trek, Eusine eyed Michelle with curious blue eyes. She certainly looked like the red headed girl who had accompanied Ash the one day Eusine had met him. Misty…that was her name. The Cerulean City gym leader. And Ash's wife.

"Michelle, Brandon, this is Eusine!" Aiden's cheery voice brought Eusine's attention back. "He needs our help with an important mission!"

"Aiden," Eusine broke in sternly, causing Michelle to raise an eyebrow, "who is the boy?"

"Brandon," Aiden repeated as though Eusine hadn't heard him the first time.

"How can he accompany us on such a mission?" Eusine questioned. "Has he too encountered Team Rocket?"

"Yeah, sure, all the time with us," Aiden replied. "I mean, not when we were younger, but-"

"What do you mean younger?" Eusine interrupted.

"Team Rocket used to try and kidnap us all the time as babies," Michelle helpfully answered for her brother. "Our parents never understood why. Even now when we run into them, they sometimes try to take Aiden and me with them. It's really weird!"

"I think that has something to do with their evil plan, whatever it may be," Eusine mused.

"Do you have any idea?" Brandon inquired.

"Not much, to be honest," Eusine sighed. "The only thing I know is that they're currently training many young operatives for the organization. More so than what's usually seen or reported. They were dormant for quite a long time, you see. Things were fairly peaceful while they remained underground. But all of that changed ten years ago."

"When we were born," Michelle murmured.

"It did start quite soon after that," Eusine confirmed. "At the very end of that year. You two were born in December, were you not?"

"Yeah," Aiden and Michelle chimed together.

The mystery man made a noise of interest and nodded his head just once. "Their activity increased soon afterwards. It was fairly well known that they'd had contact with your parents, and not in a pleasant way. You see, I'm friends with Morty, a gym leader from the Johto region. We've been close friends since childhood, and because of his role within the Pokémon League, he has an established relationship with both your mother _and _father. They had both been attacked several times by the organization, especially your mother. But the League tried to keep it under wraps for their safety. Of course, these kinds of things always have a habit of leaking to the public regardless, but Morty is the one who told me before anyone else was aware. He knew that when I wasn't busy trying to locate legendary Pokémon; I was hot on the trail of famed criminals trying to create disturbances for people and Pokémon alike. He was afraid that this would be their uprising, and that I should have been on the lookout for them. He was right, it seems."

"But my parents never understood what they wanted from us," Aiden piped up. "They sort of thought it was just because they're famous."

"It's not."

Eusine, Aiden, and Brandon all turned their attention onto Michelle, who was staring down at her plate of waffles in deep contemplation.

"What do you mean?" Brandon questioned.

Michelle took in a deep breath before explaining, "back in Cerulean, when I got kidnapped on accident during the water ballet, Team Rocket was really surprised to see that I'd gotten caught with all the Pokémon. They were mad, at first, but then they decided they were going to take me to their boss. Whoever that is. They said I was going to become part of Team Rocket. An operative, like Eusine's been saying."

"Didn't that other guy say something similar?" Aiden pressed.

"Who are you talking about?" Eusine demanded.

"On our way here, we ran into this really scary looking guy with blood red hair and two different colored eyes," Aiden mused. "He told Michelle he could give her power, and things that not even our parents' fame could get us. And he mentioned something about his father being pleased if we were to go with him."

"His father!" Eusine hissed. "It's all making sense now!"

"Eusine, are you onto something?" Brandon finally spoke.

Eusine quickly nodded his head in response. "Indeed I am. Come with me, I'll explain along the way."

**XXX**

"_Where_ is Magnus?"

"Take it easy, Syd. We can't rush him."

"No, but we can get annoyed when he's _taking_ too long! I don't care if he's the boss's protégée; it's _rude _to keep a _lady_ waiting!"

"I don't see any ladies here…"

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"

"Sydney! Alex!"

The two young operatives gasped and whipped around, finding themselves face to face with an older pair. All four, despite the differences in age and stature, were wearing matching uniforms: black in color with white collars and gloves banded with red. The two females' uniforms were dresses, while the males wore a shirt and pants. Both were emblemized with a big red 'R,' however, and this is what helped people realize who they were.

"Butch…Cassidy…" the younger girl murmured. Her curled purple hair was worn half up, half down, while her golden eyes shimmered with a unique mixture of admiration and fear.

"What are you doing here?" The younger boy asked. His brown hair was shaggy, although maintained neatly enough, while his light green eyes were narrowed out of confusion.

"We were working on a project for Dr. Nabaka when you two disrupted us with all of your nonsense!" Cassidy scolded before a high pitched ring pierced the air. She pulled out a cell phone and flipped it open, holding it against her ear as she chirped a simple, "hello?"

"_IT'S NAMBA!"_ The voice on the other end of the line yelled so loudly that everyone else could hear him, including Cassidy who huffed in response and hung up the phone.

"Right, Dr. Namba," she muttered as she rolled her eyes.

"You two are screaming like a couple of banshees out here!" Butch scolded. "What kind of professional Team Rocket agents do that, huh?"

"No one, sir," the younger male murmured.

"Alex," Butch continued, "the boss holds you to such a _higher _standard than the other young operatives."

"And the same goes for you, Sydney," Cassidy added, eyeing the sheepish younger female. "We've been training you two ever since you were a pair of sniveling, useless babies to be our protégées! Don't screw it up."

"We're sorry, Butch and Cassidy," Sydney apologized. "Alex and I have been waiting for Magnus to come back from a solo mission. He's supposed to be bringing back some important information for us."

"And the reason you're waiting for him is because the boss has so much faith in you," Butch added. "You two should be grateful for getting to work with the future of this organization!"

"Yes, unlike _certain_ young operatives that I can think of," Cassidy muttered under her breath.

"Sydney!"

"Alex!"

The two younger agents both winced at the calling of their names, while Cassidy and Butch exchanged knowing, almost mocking, glances. Two familiar faces suddenly appeared, both of them beaming at an obviously irritated Sydney and Alex.

"Speak of the devils," Cassidy whispered to Butch.

"Ugh, Jewel," Sydney muttered. "What do you want?"

"Same goes for you, Jason," Alex spat.

"We heard you were waiting here for Magnus, hot on the trail of a brand new mission!" Jewel crowed.

Sydney huffed and narrowed her eyes. "Maybe…"

"We want to help!" Jason chirped, causing Alex to roll his eyes.

"You can't help," Alex retaliated. "You're not trusted with this kind of stuff!"

"Yeah, the boss would have our heads if he heard we were having _you two_ help out," Sydney added acidly. "He doesn't trust either of you with anything!"

"That's not true!" Jewel bit. "Mom and Dad told us that the boss has lots of faith in us! They've trained us perfectly well!"

Sydney looked over her shoulder at Butch and Cassidy and raised a curious eyebrow. Alex looked just as troubled as his partner, though he was glancing at the floor instead of his lead agents.

"Sydney, Alex, head into the conference room," Cassidy instructed them more gently than usual. "When Magnus comes around, we'll tell him where to find you two."

Wordlessly, Sydney and Alex both nodded and followed Cassidy's orders. They both knew that when she told them to do something, ignoring her was _not _an option. The two young agents both scurried off, leaving Jason and Jewel alone with Cassidy and Butch, who were both smirking at the young operatives.

"Hi, Cassidy," Jewel greeted kindly.

"And Biff!" Jason added cheerfully.

"The name is Butch!" Butch stormed, causing Jason to take a step backwards.

"Jason, Jewel, what are you two doing associating with those two creeps?!"

Jason and Jewel spun around to find Jessie and James standing at the end of the hallway, neither one looking very amused with the situation.

"We didn't do anything wrong, Mom," Jason defended himself and Jewel.

"Yeah, _Mommy_," Cassidy sneered, causing Jessie to scowl. "Don't you believe your _children?_"

"You two, back into your room!" Jessie snapped, switching her pointed finger between Jason and Jewel.

"But-"

"NOW!" Jessie shouted, immediately interrupting Jewel. The two young operatives both nodded and ran back towards the older pair, straight past them and hanging a left to re-enter the hallway where their room was. With Jason and Jewel now gone, Jessie looked back up at her and James' two enemies and growled at them.

"Wow, Jess, still pulling the whole parenting charade, are we?" Cassidy mocked.

"You better not have said anything to them!" Jessie shouted.

"Oh please, I may be a villainess, but I do have _some _conscience," Cassidy scoffed. "Besides, that's _your _lie, not mine. It's not my responsibility."

"I just can't believe you two imbeciles have actually managed to get away with this for the past ten years," Butch remarked. "You've never been able to properly execute a single mission! You even managed to screw up with those two!"

"Hey, we did not!" James argued. "Jason and Jewel are both fine young children!"

"But they're not fine _agents,_ and that was your mission," Butch sighed.

"We were supposed to be training the future of Team Rocket, and instead, you two started playing house with your protégées," Cassidy laughed. "Do they even realize they're not actually siblings? I mean, those two think they're _twins _for Arceus' sake!"

Jessie had heard just about enough from that blonde haired pain. "Just because our training method is different from yours and Bill's-"

"BUTCH!"

"Whatever! It doesn't mean your method is any better than ours!"

"Yeah, we chose to train those two with love and care!" James agreed. "Treating them so harshly simply wouldn't work, not for us!"

Cassidy rolled her eyes at the notion. "But _that's_ what makes a good agent. You two are so clueless it isn't even funny."

"Why you little-"

"What in the world is going on here?"

All four adults turned around and found themselves face to face with a blood red haired teenager, flanked by two blonde girls of equal age and looking quite irritated with the actions of the older agents.

"Nothing, sir!" They all chimed together, saluting the younger male.

"Exactly what I thought," he muttered before moving down the hallway, the two girls never once leaving his sides. As he walked away, the four adults stared at his back, eyes slightly widened with fear as he marched away.

"That Magnus," Jessie muttered under her breath. "He may very well be worse than Giovanni."

**XXX**

"With all of the research I've done, I have concluded that Team Rocket headquarters is indeed located underground, beneath the Game Corner Casino."

"But we're all too young to go into a casino," Brandon noted, motioning towards himself and then the twins.

Eusine chuckled softly at this. "We don't actually have to _enter _the casino. There's a secret door, I've noticed, that leads to the underground."

Michelle squinted her eyes and looked around the back of the building, searching eagerly for such an entrance. "I don't see any door."

"Come on, Michelle, why would they leave a _secret_ door out in the open?" Aiden scoffed. "They obviously hid it somehow."

Eusine smirked and let out a small breath of approval. "You've hit it right on the head, Aiden."

Striding forward, Eusine moved towards one of the posters that was hung up on the building's façade. Lifting it up slowly and gently from the bottom, a small red button embedded in the wall came into view. The three young trainers standing behind Eusine all gasped silently in awe as the mystery man pushed the button in and took a step back. From behind the poster, where the button was situated, a rectangle just tall enough for Eusine to have to duck down to be at height with appeared and pressed into the wall before sliding to the right, revealing a dark passageway with a set of stairs that were descending below ground level.

"Whoa," Aiden finally managed to find his voice.

"This will lead us to the Rocket hideout," Eusine confirmed. "You three, follow me and stay close by. We can't separate from one another."

The three young trainers nodded and trailed behind Eusine as the mystery man began to move down the stairs. It was very dark, practically too dark to see the next step, in fact. Fortunately, the staircase wasn't _too _long, and the group made it down safely before anyone could take a tumble down the steps.

"What do we do now?" Michelle whispered to Eusine.

"We have to find the head of the operations," Eusine explained. "There's two people in charge of Team Rocket. One is the real boss, and the other is a younger male he has in training. The one you apparently ran into up in the mountains."

"Magnus?" Michelle piped up unsurely.

"Yes, that's the one in training to become the future boss," Eusine authorized. "And he's under the control of the current Team Rocket boss: Giovanni."

"Giovanni, huh?" Aiden repeated.

"Even the _name_ sounds evil," Brandon remarked.

"My goal here isn't to actually confront any of the members," Eusine continued. "I simply want to spy on them and try to get a finger on exactly what it is that they're planning. This is a mission that has been going on for many, many years, and I intend to put an end to it. But first, I have to know _exactly _what they're up to. I can't make guesses or assumptions. That would only end badly."

The group continued down the dark, predominantly concrete hallway, until they finally reached the end where light was beginning to seep through. Eusine peeked through the doorway first, to make sure the coat was clear, and once he realized that it was, motioned for the three younger trainers to continue following him.

"Wow, it's empty down here!" Aiden marveled.

"Yeah, I wonder why," Michelle mused.

**XXX**

"What a group of fools."

In the conference room, where Magnus had finally met up with Sydney and Alex, a large screen was projecting the image of Eusine, Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon walking through the vacant hallways of the hideout.

"How did they even find us?" Sydney growled, narrowing her golden eyes.

"Relax yourself, Sydney."

The young girl looked up at Magnus and scowled, but otherwise held her tongue. She knew that arguing with the future boss of Team Rocket was a big no-no.

"It's obvious that the older one has been doing his research," Magnus continued. "He's going to try and stop us. How cute."

"What shall we do about their intrusion, sir?"

Magnus smirked and turned to his right, where the question had come from. It was one of the blonde girls who had followed him into the room: her hair a light shade, hanging down to her mid back and curled at the edges. Her eyes were reminiscent of a cat Pokémon, pool blue in color and very clear, full of slyness.

"You just leave all of that to me, Yvette," Magnus purred. "They're certainly not going to get away with it, I promise you."

From Magnus' left, the other blonde girl growled before carelessly flipping her hair with the back of her hand. Her hair was shorter and a darker shade than Yvette's, more golden, while her eyes were a very dark brown, nearly black, in fact. The top of the girls' uniforms were similar to Sydney's, but the bottom was different. Instead of being solid black, it was white with a red stripe. This was to help show that she and Yvette were at a higher position than Sydney and Alex.

"Cathy," Magnus spoke again, catching the attention of the darker blonde, "I trust that you and Yvette will be able to assist me in this matter. You _are _my elite officers after all, yes?"

"Oh, yes sir!" Cathy replied cheerfully, the formerly sour look on her face quickly melting away. Snorting, Sydney rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair.

"But first, Sydney and Alex," Magnus drawled as he eyed the two agents sitting before him, "I think you should give those little brats a warm up for the _real _stars of this show, don't you think?"

Sydney narrowed her eyes, but Alex was quick to jump up and salute the teenage boy, replying, "yes, sir!"

"Excellent," Magnus laughed darkly. "Then off you go. Don't waste my time."

**XXX**

"What a weird hideout. It just seems like a bunch of connecting hallways!"

Aiden groaned and cautiously eyed his sister. "Maybe, but I've got a bad feeling about this. Like something's about to happen."

"I kind of think you're just being weird," Michelle murmured, although she didn't sound too positive herself.

"What's this? We have company?"

The younger trainers gasped and subconsciously hid behind Eusine, who furrowed his brow out of frustration. Obviously, Team Rocket was onto them…they had been caught. Feeling a bit more confident, Aiden, Michelle, and Brandon finally looked around the mystery man, and found themselves staring at a boy and girl pair who reminded them of their usual torturers, Jason and Jewel. This duo, however, was wearing significantly different uniforms, the only similarity shared between them and the other two being the big red 'R' on printed on the front of their outfits. The girl had curled purple hair and mischievous golden eyes, while the boy standing next to her was brunet with coy green eyes of his own.

"Alright, who are you two?" Aiden growled.

"Allow us to introduce ourselves," the girl purred. "I'm Sydney."

"And my name is Alex," the boy spoke dauntingly.

"And we're here today to stop you all from getting in our way," Sydney sneered as she pulled out a poke ball. "Houndour, let's go!"

"You too, Gulpin!" Alex called immediately after, throwing his own poke ball.

Appearing before the two young agents were a pair of Pokémon: the first one, belonging to Sydney, a small black and red dog with a rather ferocious look on its face, and the second one, Alex's Pokémon, being a green blob of sorts with no real shape to it and no discernible facial expression.

"What are those Pokémon?" Michelle muttered as she pulled out her pokedex to scan the two.

_Houndour, the dark Pokémon. Houndour uses a series of cries to communicate, and will never leave a member of its pack injured._

_Gulpin, the stomach Pokémon. It can swallow and digest anything the size of its body due to its powerful stomach._

"Ew, gross," Michelle muttered under her breath.

"Excuse you, my Gulpin is _not_ gross!" Alex shouted.

"Whatever, if you think I'm going to let you attack me with _that_ thing, then you're crazy," Michelle spat as she pulled out a red and white sphere of her own. "Ponyta, help me out!"

The fire horse Pokémon appeared before her trainer, neighing and stomping her hooves on the floor.

"Brandon, can you help Michelle?" Eusine urgently asked the aspiring Pokémon breeder.

"Huh?" Brandon asked confusedly, pointing at himself in bewilderment. "Who? Me?!"

"Yes," Eusine rushed out his words. "Aiden and I are going to track down the head of this operation. But Michelle can't battle them on her own. Please, help her."

Brandon stammered for a moment, but soon enough he pulled out of his stupor and nodded confidently. "Got it!" He hurried up next to Michelle and unclipped a ball from his belt, much to the girl's surprise. "Spearow, come out!"

The tiny bird Pokémon fluttered up by Ponyta's head, glaring at the two Pokémon standing across from them.

"Houndour, use flamethrower!" Sydney demanded.

"Counter it with fire spin, Ponyta!" Michelle yelled.

Just as the bursts of fire filled the air, Eusine and Aiden made their getaway, back down the hallway and hanging a left instead of a right as they'd done before. This led them back to the empty space they'd been accustomed to, but still, neither one felt safe. They ran now instead of walked, keeping their guard up for someone to jump out and try and attack them.

"Eusine, where are we going?" Aiden panted as he ran after the caped blond.

"I'm not entirely sure," Eusine admitted. "But eventually, following this path _has_ to lead us to the head of operations. We need to stop this plan, and fast."

While they were running, the two realized they were coming up to an open door. They ceased their running and instead chose to approach the doorframe slowly and quietly, so as to not get caught by whoever might be inside. Eusine peered in first, followed by Aiden right below him. The backs of Cathy, Magnus, and Yvette were facing the both of them, and they were all standing in front of a wooden desk, the back of a red velvet upholstered chair facing them.

"Father," Magnus spoke, his voice low, "the elite officers and I have found another orphanage nearby, and we intend to strike it tonight. Do you have any grunts lined up for the mission?"

The chair spun around quite suddenly, causing Eusine and Aiden to both gasp softly. Sitting in the chair was a hulking man, with tan skin, short brown hair, and permanently narrowed black eyes. He was dressed in a gaudy orange suit with a green vest and yellow dress shirt tucked away neatly beneath the jacket. He scoffed, and Magnus pulled his shoulders back. Shaking his head, the man in the chair replied, "you mistake me for an _idiot,_ Magnus?"

"N-no, sir," Magnus stammered. Aiden raised an eyebrow. This was the first time the teenage boy had actually showed any trace of emotion. And, go figure, that emotion was fear.

"Of course I have grunts lined up for the heist," Giovanni scoffed. "Don't be so stupid. I raised you better than that."

"GET BACK HERE YOU TWO!"

Eusine and Aiden both jumped and whipped around. Michelle and Brandon were running back towards them, concern etched on both of their faces. Ponyta and Spearow had both been returned to their balls, but Sydney and Alex were still following them. Gulpin had been put away as well, but Houndour was still out and raring to fight. Pichu was trying to fend them off with repeated thundershocks, but it wasn't working and instead seemed to be tiring her out.

"Michelle! Brandon!" Aiden gasped.

"Their Pokémon are really powerful," Michelle panted, pulling up next to her brother for her own comfort.

"There was no way," Brandon puffed, sounding just as tired as Michelle.

"You four again?"

The group turned around and found that Magnus had stepped out of Giovanni's office, Cathy and Yvette still at his sides. He looked annoyed with the intrusion, but not overly upset. Just mildly bothered.

"Magnus, sir-" Alex began before getting cut off.

"I don't have time for this nonsense," Magnus sighed. "We are going on a mission, and I need the assistance of you two. Sydney, end this now."

Sydney huffed, obviously not pleased with the order, but she still followed it without audible complaint. "Houndour, smog."

The dual type Pokémon spit out a barrage of smoke that caused Eusine and the three younger trainers to couch and close their eyes. By the time the smoke cleared, and they were all able to see again, Magnus and his four younger followers had all disappeared.

"What?" Brandon muttered to himself.

Aiden backtracked and peeked into Giovanni's office once more, narrowing his eyes when he saw that the chair formerly occupied by the mob boss was now empty. In fact, there was absolutely no one left in the office at all.

"Giovanni is gone too," Aiden murmured, pulling away from the doorframe and twisting his mouth in deep thought.

"Did you guys find out anything about Team Rocket's mission?" Michelle asked.

"Chu?" Pichu chimed.

"Not too much," Aiden admitted. "But we heard Magnus telling Giovanni that they were going on a mission tonight, to a nearby orphanage."

"An orphanage?" Michelle repeated incredulously.

"Why would they need to go to an orphanage?" Brandon questioned.

"I don't know, Giovanni said something about a heist," Aiden replied, still sounding confused.

"They're obviously stealing something, although we don't know what," Eusine concluded. "It could be anything from money to the entire building. Their raids always differ."

"Yeah, but why an orphanage?" Michelle pushed.

"This needs further investigation," Eusine sighed. "I am going to speak to Officer Jenny and see what else can be done about this. But until then, I'm afraid we'll just have to go with what we have now."

From the end of the hallway, two pairs of eyes watched the group, while their ears listened in on the conversation. Once they had heard enough, the two prying eyes were pulled away, and the people they belonged to rested themselves against a wall.

"Jewel…what's going on?"

"I don't know, Jason…I'm just as confused as you are."

* * *

**Team Rocket secrets! Just what are they up to now? We know that Sydney and Alex are the protégées of Cassidy and Butch, but what about Yvette and Cathy? Any guesses? And what's the deal with Jason and Jewel?**

**You'll all find out eventually ;) It's not called a mystery for nothing!**


End file.
